While caregivers have every right to feel that providing day-to-day care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is exhausting, they should try their best to keep in mind that those who’ve actually suffered from the disease every day for years on end feel especially weary. That said, they should try their best to understand when their loved ones feel ready to let go. Simply put, the years of battling the disease and the years of feeling like a burden to others takes it toll—to the point where these individuals desire a release from the ever-demanding struggle. As such, it is common that individuals with Alzheimer’s diseases or dementia reach a point where they feel they are ready to die.
While some individuals may communicate this wish verbally, others may indirectly indicate it through their body language, or—as others have suggested—you may just get a “sense” of it. However he or she conveys communicates this desire to you, you should respect his or her decision, as the road has been long and difficult one, and your loved one will need all the support she can get to make it through this final stretch. Very likely—despite all your best efforts to prepare for this time—you and your loved one will still find this period very difficult.
At this point, if you haven’t already, you should reach out to professionals for advice and counsel on how to best handle the road ahead. Be sure to contact your loved one’s physician and communicate your loved one’s desires. Also, you’ll want to schedule an appointment with your elder law attorney to ensure you’re the realization of your loved one’s final wishes and desires. By contacting a qualified elder law attorney and taking care of any loose ends, you make sure that you can spend what the limited time you have tending to you and your family’s emotional needs.
