After cancer treatment options have been exhausted, patients diagnosed with cancer may want to consider hospice care during the final days, weeks or months of life. Hospice for cancer services, take into account the unique needs of cancer patients provide compassionate care and help maintain a patient’s quality of life during the final stages of terminal cancer.
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When To Consider Hospice Care for a Cancer Patient
While many families put off discussions about hospice care until cancer has reached a later stage of malignancy, discussing the idea early helps family members prepare for the possibility in advance.
One thing to keep in mind is that hospice isn’t a specific place or prescribed course of action. Hospice care is a philosophy of care focused on quality of life for the advanced cancer patient.
Here are some signs that it might be time to consider hospice:
- The malignant tumor has progressed to a point where treatment is ineffective
- The patient has decided to stop treatment after a specific point
- The burden of care has become too difficult for family members to manage on their own
Eligibility Requirements for Cancer Patients To Receive Hospice Care
The primary guideline for hospice eligibility is a life expectancy of six months or less. For end-stage cancer patients, hospice care is typically recommended when curative treatment has been discontinued and the patient’s functional status has declined to a level where regular, consistent assistance is necessary to carry out activities of daily living.
Hospice care is available for patients with a wide range of diagnoses. Patients with lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and other forms of malignant cancers may be eligible for hospice care. If a cancer patient has another concurrent serious illness, the care plan may include management of both the effects of cancer and other symptoms caused by the co-occurring illness.
A clinical oncology professional can assess the cancer patient for functional status using formal assessments such as the Palliative Performance Scale and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale. A physician may use these scales to make a hospice recommendation, or the discussion may be initiated by family members who notice specific behaviors and symptoms exhibited by the patient at home.
Some indicators that a patient may be ready for hospice care services include:
- Being bedbound or spending more than 50% of their time in bed or seated in a single room during the day
- Displaying obvious cancer symptoms
- Unable to perform self-care activities, such as bathing, eating and grooming
- Unable to work or perform everyday activities, such as cooking and cleaning
- Having a reduced nutritional intake due to loss of appetite or inability to eat effectively
While hospice care is intended for patients who’ve ceased treatment for a terminal illness, some patients who are still continuing treatment may be eligible for palliative care. A palliative care program is designed specifically for those who wish to continue medical treatment but have difficulty caring for themselves or participating in the activities of daily living.
Someone receiving chemotherapy might get assistance with daily activities, services to improve the quality of life of the patient and medication management for symptom relief. The palliative care team works with the primary caregiver and cancer care team to determine appropriate services and create an individualized plan to meet the patient’s needs. A patient participating in clinical trials for cancer treatment may also be eligible for palliative care.
Where Hospice Services Take Place
Hospice and palliative care organizations provide services at the place where the patient lives. This might be the patient’s home, the home of a family member or an assisted living facility. In some cases, hospice services may be available in a nursing home setting or at a medical facility during a temporary hospital stay. One goal of hospice is to make the patient comfortable during the end of life, and helping the patient stay in a familiar setting can be part of this.
Hospice care providers visit the patient’s home on a regular schedule, and different members of the hospice care team may schedule visits on different days of the week.
How Hospice Care Helps Family Members Care for a Cancer Patient
Family caregivers work with a patient’s doctors and hospice team members to provide the best care for their loved one. Upon admission to a hospice care program, the hospice doctor evaluates the patient and develops an individualized care plan. A team of hospice care professionals might include a nurse, a social worker, a home health aide, physical or occupational therapists, a clergy member and hospice volunteers.
Some ways hospice and palliative care can help cancer patients and their families include:
Symptom Management
Managing symptoms is one of the main reasons cancer patients enter hospice care. Patients diagnosed with advanced cancer often experience a wide range of symptoms, so care is specifically tailored to the patient’s individual needs. The hospice care team works with the patient’s regular health care professionals to determine appropriate symptom management options, and the hospice doctors, nurses and home health aides implement the predetermined plan to minimize pain and discomfort.
24-Hour Care Access
The hospice nurse, social worker and chaplain are available 24 hours/day 7 days a week to respond to patient and caregiver needs.
Bereavement Counseling
Three Oaks Hospice provides up to 13 months of bereavement services after the death of the patient. Families get emotional and spiritual support before and after the patient’s death. Patients and family members can also receive advice and guidance from a clergy member on the hospice care team while the patient is in hospice care. Spiritual care and bereavement couselling are integral parts of hospice care as part of the interdisciplinary team. Assistance with Document Preparation
Families dealing with a terminal cancer diagnosis have plenty of decisions to make, and dealing with the paperwork involved for insurance claims, funeral arrangements and medical directives can be an added complication. The social worker assigned to thepatient can help manage logistical issues to ease the burden on the patient’s family.
Respite Care
Caring for someone with an advanced illness can be stressful, and sometimes caregivers need a break. Respite care involves temporary full-time patient care and can be a way to give caregivers some time to themselves without worrying about their loved one.
Caregiver Education
Family members of a patient entering hospice care get education about the usual course of the disease, how to manage common symptoms and basic in-home care. Hospice programs provide family support throughout the entire hospice experience.
Three Oaks Hospice Locations
Three Oaks Hospice has locations across the U.S., ensuring that caring, compassionate hospice and palliative care are available to patients where they live. Three Oak Hospice provides on-site care in the home or where the patient calls home, whether that’s in their residence, a family member’s, or in a medical facility.
Choosing a Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
A good hospice and palliative care organization works with the patient’s oncologist and primary care physician to develop a comprehensive care plan. Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private health insurances.
There are many benefits to entering a hospice program for end-of-life care after an advanced cancer diagnosis. Some reasons to choose hospice include:
Professional Clinical Support
From caregiver education to medical monitoring, hospice teams provide the expert support families need to effectively care for a cancer patient at home.
Improved Quality of Life
Patients in hospice care have a better quality of life because basic needs are met and stress is reduced. Hospice patients also have a reduced rate of rehospitalization because pain and other symptoms are managed at home.
Peace of Mind
Families of patients in hospice can feel confident that their loved one is being cared for even when they aren’t present. One-on-one support and 24-hour access to services ensures consistent care.
