What is the best thing you can give/offer to people with terminal disease?

Question

Like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, ALS, ...etc...

Answer 1

Believe it or not just be yourself and your "time" with the person is pure gold my dear. If the diseased person is unable to speak or comprehend read the paper or a magazine that the person liked to them. You be prepared to talk as much as possible. If you are able, wheel the person out doors in the wind and sun.

My wife and I spent many hours with her 96 year old mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Luckily we had a fantastic Neurologist who thoroughly explained what to expect personality wise from Mom when she showed early changes in her day to day life. My wife's an OB nurse and our youngest daughter is a nurse in labor and delivery.

I'll have to admit the later stages of Mom's life was very empty. She spoke very fluently but her sentences were just strings of incoherent words.

I felt terribly sorry for other residents of the nursing home where she spent her last days. Many of the others had no family's or visitors. I grew especially fond of a woman from the Ukraine. She spoke very broken English and her only wish was to visit with another person from her native country. She often cried and broke into her native tongue when she tried to describe her homeland.

Bless you for the thought!

Answer 2

An ear. Listen to them.

Answer 3

pistol

Answer 4

Low cost Term Life Insurance

Answer 5

All you honestly can offer is your time, be with them love them and support them.

Answer 6

Understanding... patience, and Love... just because they have the disease doesn't mean they are already dead... living today is just as important as anything else... also I train people that work in this area how to do Reiki... if you want to help, learning gentle touch therapies like this can give a lot of relief to body mind and spirit.

Good Luck!

Tara

www.reikicoach.org  

Answer 7

Your friendship

Answer 8

The best thing you can offer people with a terminal disease is your real self. Don't act as though these people have nothing wrong. They know they are going to die, and for someone to just skirt the issue that they desperately need you to acknowledge is frustrating and demeaning to them. If they need to talk about their death, or their problems, then do so. If they need you to hear their fears then listen with all your heart. And don't be afraid to talk about it with them. Don't say you know what they are feeling, just tell them you are there for them. Be part of their helping network. They may need groceries brought in, or may need someone to help them to the doctor's office or hospital, so help where you can. Hold their hand, cry with them if it needs to be done, because there will come a time when none of this will be able to be done with them. Keep them as human as possible, for as long as possible. Be there for them because so many terminal people are forgotten by their friends and family because it is just too hard for them to deal with it. Terminal disease patients are some of the loneliest people because they are shuffled to the back of everyone's busy schedule and then just.......forgotten about.  

Answer 9

love, understanding, your listening to things they want to talk about

don't listen to those other idiots, if they had the disease or knew someone who did, they wouldn't write the s**t they do

Answer 10

Your support and friendship . lend them your ear if they need it.

Answer 11

The answer of trees75094 is the greatest and to add something with that I will do just anything within my ability and it should be done as per the requirements/needs of the sufferer and his/her family too. We everybody will die.God bless us.

Answer 12

Just spend lots of time with them and try to help them do their final wishes before death.

Answer 13

Just to be there for them.  They're likely to be able to get whatever medical care they need but there is a tendency for people to emotionally distance themselves from someone they know to be dying.  This is normal and nothing to be ashamed of, it's an emotional survival tactic, but it can be very isolating for the person who is actually suffering, so it's very valuable just to have somebody there to talk to and be with, even to the very end.  Everybody has to die someday, but nobody has to die alone.

Answer 14

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Answer 15

I've had several people in my life that had terminal illnesses.  Unfortunately, this scares many people.  They pull away from them because they're uncomfortable, don't know what to say, or other reasons.

I would say to just be their friend.  If you're comfortable with the discussion, ask if there is anything specific  you can help them take care of.  This would include any business matters, getting their estate in order, taking them to doctor appointments, helping them around the house, etc.  Actually say something like, can I help you run errands, go to the grocery, fix some meals, clean your house, and the like.  It’s better to be specific in asking what you can do to help.

Some don’t want to discuss their impending death, others do.  I had one friend that had several children, the youngest being 13.  I helped her tape record some things she wanted to say to her daughter about dating, marriage and just general motherly advice.

Don’t be afraid to be around them.  Try to be upbeat whenever possible.  I’ve rented funny movies to help pass an afternoon.  Maybe fix their favorite decadent dessert, if they’re able to eat it.  Do what feels right to you, in your particular situation.  It sounds as though your heart is in the right place.

It's also a great comfort to assist the family of the person with the illness.  Volunteer to stay with the person who is ill for awhile.  Caretakers will cherish a few hours away from taking care of their loved one.

I found that I got way more than I ever gave, when staying friends with dying people.  You will grow as a human being.  You’ll be amazed how much there is to learn for yourself, just by helping someone else move onto the next world.  

Answer 16

Give of yourself, by giving them your time.

Help them to process their feelings, there sorrow, allow them your strength................. in assisting them with closure, and goodbyes.

This requires the highest form of bravery:

Allow them to do this without thinking more about what you are losing in loosing them.

Allow their death to be about them, and not about your loss. Help them to face it head-on. I think that is what the truly terminally ill need most.

Someone who allows them to speak their truth about dying, rather than attempting to avoid the issue, because it hurts you to much to think about it.

Answer 17

DEATH

Answer 18

Nothing material, the best you can do is spend time with them each and everyday. To them that amounts to more than some material, people suffering from terminal illnesses usually know that they don't need anything like that. If you spend time with them, talk to them and listen to there stories you will really be cherished by them. That's what touches them.