Sometimes a tough situation becomes even tougher, which is often the case when you receive news that a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease has developed another life-threatening medical condition. In some cases, an aging love one—who’s been coping with the progressing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease—suddenly learns that he or she has cancer. If you or your loved one find yourself in such a situation, then the best thing you can do is learn as much information you can from the physician about the specific cancer before making any treatment decisions. Should you make an uninformed decision and move forward with an aggressive approach or an invasive procedure, you run the risk of inadvertently causing your loved one increased pain, suffering, and confusion.
Depending on your loved one’s condition and his or her prognosis, you may want to consider having the physician order hospice services. While such a decision can be an extremely difficult to make, it is completely understandable, as hospice services will ensure your loved one spends as much of his or her time in a comfortable, pain-free environment. Furthermore, the hospice service will work with you and the rest of your family to help them both understand and cope with your loved one’s condition.
As you consider hospice services for your loved one, you may also want to consider how to set your loved one’s affairs in order, so he or she—as well as the rest of your family—can set those worries aside. Perhaps the best way to do this is by contacting an Ohio elder law attorney. An Ohio elder law attorney has the experience and skills that can ensure you’ve done everything possible to put you and the rest of your family at ease.
