As interrelated as end-of-life care and death care seem to be, there are many aspects of this transitional period that aren’t openly discussed and don’t come together. But as more people choose to make advance funeral arrangements before their death, it’s leading to more comprehensive care all around before and after someone dies.
Let’s explore what many people go through during end-of-life care and how things are changing to ensure people feel as comfortable as possible in their final days before the funeral services.
Total Pain Models That Address All the Distress Related to Death
We’re beginning to realize the full spectrum of distress that comes with end-of-life care. The emotional stress that’s involved has been recognized, but the distress extends much further than that. There’s also psychological, societal, spiritual and physical pain that can develop when someone is in end-of-life care.
While the funeral services are important, solely focusing on that can make it easy to push the distress aside without fully addressing it. Confronting the distress is important given that 81% of people feel that being pain-free at the end of life is very important. Within the new total pain models that are being used by hospice workers all the sources of distress are recognized as contributing to and worsening physical pain.
Hospice workers and clinicians are now being taught to recognize and treat the various forms of pain, not just the physical symptoms. By addressing pain holistically at all levels, quality of life is greatly improved. Taking this approach requires open conversations with hospice patients to discover what is causing them distress and the level of pain they are feeling.
It paints a picture of the total pain that is being felt as well as the connection between mental distress and physical discomfort. From there, hospice caretakers can address each issue so that the person truly feels relief from pain rather than just having the physical symptoms temporarily alleviated with medication..
With psychological, emotional, societal, spiritual and physical pain all being dealt with, a person is in a much better mindset to make funeral arrangements and other end of life decisions.
Influential Factors For Funeral Planning During End-of-Life Care
Even the people closest to someone who is dying may not understand all of the reasoning behind their funeral service choices during end-of-life care. Unfortunately, many people consider their situation to be a burden for their family members and close friends. What they want most is to ease that burden and it becomes a huge influential factor for their funeral planning.
In many cases the terminally ill individual doesn’t focus on what they truly want for their funeral services and instead makes choices based on what they think will be easiest for the family.
Location of Funeral Services and Providers
Even though funeral services can be arranged and managed remotely now, the location of the funeral home still matters for many people. And if someone plans to be buried or have their cremains buried the location of the cemetery certainly matters. Terminally ill people are considering this when they are making funeral arrangements. Instead of choosing the service providers and locales they prefer they often end up basing the decisions on what is going to be easiest for their family members.
Cost of Funeral Services
People receiving end-of-life care are more likely to choose simple services that are less expensive so they don’t create a financial burden for their family. Choosing less expensive funeral services is actually common when someone is making advance funeral arrangements regardless of their current health.
Type of Funeral Services
Not surprisingly, many people choose simple, parred down funeral services for themselves. In addition to being less expensive, streamlined services like cremation are easier for family members to coordinate after the death. Some people also choose funeral services that they know align with their next of kin’s values rather than focusing on what they feel is most important.
Many people take the approach of “I’ll be gone so what I want isn’t as important”. The problem with that approach is it can be very unsettling because funeral services and final resting places are extremely personal. It helps knowing that your preferences will be honored and you’ll be remembered in the way that you prefer.
And the reality is, simply making advance funeral arrangements of any kind is a huge relief for family members. It greatly eases the burden regardless of what services are chosen.
Groups That May Miss Out on Making Advanced Arrangements
There are some people who often miss out on being able to make advanced funeral arrangements and receiving care based on total pain models that can make the process easier. The saddest part is these groups aren’t any less distressed, and may even be experiencing more distress because of their situation.
People with certain chronic diseases and dementia fall into this group. They have a terminal illness, but because the survival timeline is less certain they don’t always end up in hospice care and there isn’t as much urgency in making death care arrangements. Because of this uncertainty, they end up missing out on the services for total pain models that ease distress and making advance arrangements that can provide a sense of control and ease the mental load.
Instead they are stuck in a sort of perpetual state of limbo. The stress of the situation is there, but the uncertainty leads to inaction that only makes matters worse for many people in the long run.
Cremation.Green works with many other professionals to ensure a family’s needs are fully met when our eco-friendly death care services are requested. We can collaborate with hospice workers, physicians and spiritual leaders to make the transition from end-of-life to death care feel much less stressful and painful for everyone who is involved. We’re available to talk 24 hours a day 7 days a week.