It’s essential to identifying the best care for elderly parents when considering end-of-life hospice care so that we can provide what they truly deserve.
Hospice and palliative care are typically intertwined; they are both concerned with relieving patient pain and promoting comfort. Both, however, are different in some aspects. Palliative care generally precedes hospice care as the patient’s condition deteriorates. Identifying the best care for elderly parents.
Trying to decide whether a skilled nursing facility will be best for mom or dad? Determining the kind of support and care your parents require is essential. There are many different kinds of senior retirement living communities. Understanding their services will help you make the right decision.
Many people need clarification about the services nursing homes provide and often equate them with hospice. The two are different. A hospice is a type of facility where health professionals and volunteers care for individuals who are terminally ill. While skilled nursing facilities serve individuals with debilitating and degenerative conditions. Many skilled nursing facilities offer hospice as a continuum of care and others do not provide end-of-life care.
Selecting an appropriate retirement living facility is critical to ensuring your loved ones are comfortable, adjust to their new home quickly, and have the required support.
One Caregiver’s Journey
This caregiver book by Eleanor Gaccetta is based on the author’s personal experiences. It is not about not medical findings. She candidly details the unexpected daily health or age-related challenges caregivers face.
The book covers over 9 1/2 years, the reader will experience the various stages, changes, challenges, and complexities of being a full-time family caregiver. The author shares insights, practical advice, and experiences of how her caregiving routine evolved as her mother aged. The book is a caregiving blueprint that empowers readers to realize that our challenges are not insurmountable. The book also covers six months after her mother’s death and reminds us that there is life after caregiving. Gaccetta recognized how the time she spent caring for her mother allowed her to learn about herself and her strengths, and how her life had been enriched.
Gaccetta chose in-home hospice care for her mother when her health and conditions met the criteria. The book details the family’s interactions with the hospice care team, including how a hospice nurse arrived at midnight to help Ellie navigate a situation. Choosing the right hospice entity is critical and choosing the right level of care (in-home or in-facility) is critical. The right hospice choice is a blessing for the family and for your loved one.
What The Readers Are Saying
Gacetta’s book is indeed a primer for anyone considering taking on a caregiver role and a tribute to her “wonderful and loving” parent. Underlying her intimate recollections is the unspoken strength that she herself possesses and amply demonstrates in this vivid “caregiver’s journey.”— Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott of Pacific Book Review
Eleanor Gaccetta is not only the author of her book One Caregivers Journey, but she is also a saint. Her devotion to every detail of her aging mother’s care is beyond amazing. In this easy-to-read book, in terms of structure, interest, and descriptive passages, she writes with clarity and complete honesty. She managed to find humor in situations that most of us would never be able to handle. Filled with many good tips and advice, this book is a must-read for anyone who is caring for or thinking of becoming a carer to an elderly friend or relative. An honest and impressive book. Her devotion took my breath away.—Reviewed by Lucinda Clarke.
Author’s Bio
Eleanor (Ellie) Gaccetta, MBA, is an author, speaker, cook, and baker. She was a legislative and policy analyst for the State of Colorado, the City, and the County of Broomfield, and after leaving government services, she was a private contractor. Ellie’s almost forty-year career ceased when her mother fell and broke her hip at age 92. Thus began Ellie’s journey of being a 24/7 sole caregiver for her mother for the next 9 1/2 years. During that time, her book One Caregiver’s Journey was born with personal memories, insight, and advice for caregivers. Today she lives in a suburb west of Denver where she enjoys spending time with family, being in the kitchen, gardening, and writing about caregiving trends and changes since her journey. She committed to remaining healthy, getting in shape, and staying fit during the pandemic. She walks 2-3 miles several times a week and has become a gym shark.