It’s timely that as I write this message, it is
National Palliative Care Week. In recent months I have seen the passing of
several people who have been a part of my life over many years and several have
had long-term illness. The efforts of the palliative care teams cannot be
downplayed and I know my friends have been in excellent hands as their journey’s
progressed.
The importance of making known one’s end-of-life
wishes is not to be taken lightly. Similarly, as our relatives and indeed,
ourselves, age, making sure we are best cared for in our ‘twilight’ years is of
upmost importance. This may include nominating someone as Power of Attorney and
/ or Guardianship should we at some stage become unable to make appropriate
decisions about our own care.
In recent months, I have been caring for an
elderly relative who has up until recently, been highly functioning. A bout of
illness has changed that and I’ve been working within a challenging system to
get the right help at the right time to ensure my relative is well cared for
and appropriately managed. She lives alone and has the usual things to deal
with along the way – bills, maintenance and chores, to name a few pressures.
Whilst very independent, she has refused in-home
assistance, which I know would make her life a little easier, and provide some
extra company, but to no avail. Unfortunately, she is not currently well enough
to stay in her home, though I am hopeful she will recover enough to be able to
return soon. Without an appointed Power of Guardianship / Attorney in place
when she was well, her future medical care and management of finances, etc., is
of some concern. I’m sure I am not alone in my apprehension as to the future of
a loved one.
No matter what our situation, it’s important to
ensure we have a plan for managing our future medical and other needs either
from a palliative care perspective or gradual decline as a result of ageing.
This is especially important if we are living with significant medical
conditions. Perhaps National Palliative Care Week is a wake-up reminder for us
all. We don’t know what’s in our future, no matter how well we take care of
ourselves and it might be a good time to look ahead and see what we can do as
individuals to best protect ourselves.
