Pruritus – or itchy skin – can be an annoying condition for a healthy individual, but pruritus at end of life can have a powerfully negative effect on a patient’s quality of life. In addition to the physical discomfort, patients may experience sleep disruption, anxiety, and depression due to the frustration of not being able to calm their pruritus.
People say that when you marry someone, you marry their entire family. There’s a reason this phrase has been passed down through the generations: when you get married, you’ve got a whole new pack of people to think about and care for.
Dyspnea, or shortness of breath, is often seen in individuals facing a serious illness. The sensation of being unable to catch their breath or like the room is closing in on them can be terrifying. That only makes the symptoms worse.
When our Gift of a Day team heard that our 90-year-old patient Gwen Koppen wanted to ride a horse, they wasted no time in making it happen for her. Within a few hours, Gwen was dressed in country western finery and setting off on her ride.
After all of the cold, snowy, and dark days of winter, the brighter days of spring are a burst of light for the soul. This is as true for those living with Alzheimer’s as it is for the rest of us.
One of the most beloved programs at Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care is our Gift of a Day program. Inspired by Jim Stovall’s book, The Ultimate Gift, we ask our patients, “If you had one perfect day, what would it look like?” Based on their answer, our team works to bring these hospice ultimate gifts to life as a Gift of a Day.
