QUALITY-OF-LIFE CHOICES FOR OLDER ADULTS
Many older adults live independently in their own homes, thanks in part to a large and dynamic network of housing options and long-term services and supports that include transportation, meals, home care and home health care.
Although paid caregiving services are available, family members are often the caregivers for their aging parents and other relatives. Informal family caregivers play a huge and growing role in older adults’ later years, and their needs are a growing issue and concern. Family caregivers account for billions of dollars each year in informal caregiving, often at the expense of their own needs.
From caregiving to advance care directives and end-of-life care, this course covers the entire range of end-of-life choices, including ethical aspects of end-of-life health care decisions. It is vital for professionals to know about the ethics of end-of-life choices because they are of concern to almost every older adult and his or her family.
Working with Older Adults Certificate Program
QUALITY-OF-LIFE CHOICES FOR OLDER ADULTS
Chapter 10: Housing and Services for Aging Needs
Chapter 11: Caregiving in Families
Chapter 12: Advance Care Planning and Directives
Chapter 13: Hospice and Palliative Care
Chapter 14: End-of-Life Choices and Ethics
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Chapter 10: Housing and Services for Aging Needs
· Explain the connection between aging in place and the continuum of care.
· Discuss why housing decisions can be difficult for older adults.
· Describe difficulties that older adults face aging in place in the suburbs.
· Identify housing and services for older adults from active/independent to less active/more dependent.
· Give examples of home and community-based services.
· Recognize new approaches to housing and services for older adults.
Chapter 11: Caregiving in Families
· Explain why family-centered caregiving is vital.
· Describe major challenges caregivers face.
· Discuss tensions between care givers and receivers.
· Describe strategies for caring for difficult adults.
· Describe the key supports family caregivers need.
· Recognize professional issues related to family dynamics.
Chapter 12: Advance Care Planning and Directives
· Distinguish advance care planning from advance directives.
· Identify the focal points for end-of-life discussions.
· Discuss the role of personal values in treatment choices.
· Describe the purposes of the three most common advance directives.
· Tell how Five Wishes is used and its effect on other advance directives.
· Explain the Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment POLST).
· Identify questions to start conversations about advance care planning and directives.
· Discuss how to prevent advance directives from failing.
· Name the four elements that define capacity and competence.
· Explain the process and rules for tissue, organ and body donation.
· List tasks and expenses for funerals, memorials and dispositions.
Chapter 13: Hospice and Palliative Care
· Identify the four trajectories of illness.
· Define palliative care and hospice care.
· Explain how palliative and hospice care services each meet the needs of older adults.
· Discuss how to evaluate and select appropriate hospice or palliative care service.
Chapter 14: End-of-Life Choices and Ethics
· Identify basic ethical principles that inform end-of-lifecare.
· Explain the four categories of end-of-life choices.
· Discuss five end-of-life options and their ethical and legal status.
· Describe the nature of suffering at the end of life.
· Discuss how to respond in an ethical, constructive way to suffering and requests to hasten death.