Comfort Care and Quality of Life

What does Quality of Life mean for you? For a 98 year old, nearly blind, and unable to pee without a ‘stent’ in place, it’s being comfortably positioned in the warmth of her garden, with tissues and a cup of tea within reach.  A proud woman, she doesn’t like calling her health aids ‘caregivers’ because it makes her sound needy. Instead, they’re companions and a chauffeur.

What does ‘Comfort’ mean to you? Sometimes comfort comes of small pleasures: a loving touch, soothing music. For the 80-year old wheelchair bound man, it’s stroking his cat and getting his feet massaged.

Comfort can take on a different meaning as life winds down: shortness of breath, skincare, dry mouth, constipation along with pain and anxiety. Ensuring these needs are known, and are met, can make the difference to both patient and caregiver.