Caregiving at the end of life

What is caregiving at the end of life?

Caregiving at the end of life means taking care of a person, usually a family member, that is in the final stage of an illness. You’ve probably been a caregiver before at some point in your life. You may have taken care of young children, a family member with a temporary illness, or an elderly parent who needed help running errands or filling out paperwork. Caregiving at the end of life can be different:

• A person near the end of their life may need help doing a lot of things they would do on their own before, such as taking a bath, using the toilet, or getting dressed
• Being close to death often comes with feelings of sadness, anger, or regret that can be hard to cope with
• As an end-of-life caregiver, you likely have a big part in the person’s healthcare. For example, you may have to give medicine or watch for symptoms that are getting worse.