Palliative Care At Home For Cancer Patients In Orinda City, California

If a life-threatening disease such as cancer, heart failure, lung disease or kidney disease affects you or someone you care about then you’re probably going through a lot of visits to the Hospital and staying in the hospital for little more than a few hours to deal with pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms. Palliative care can help you live as comfortably as possible at home.

Cancer might make you feel unwell, which can limit your ability to carry on with your daily activities. In contrast, a subspecialty of medicine known as palliative care is dedicated to the prevention, management and relief of cancer symptoms and any treatment-related side effects. In addition, it offers extensive assistance to cancer patients and their families. Before, during and after treatment, anyone, regardless of age, kind of cancer or stage, can get palliative care. Supportive care, which is another name for palliative care, is another term for it.

Treatment or care that focuses on reducing the severity of disease symptoms rather than seeking to stop, delay or reverse the disease’s progression or deliver a cure is called palliative care. To help patients who are facing life-threatening illnesses and control the pain is palliative care, curative treatment can continue side by side with palliative care. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the same as hospice care, which offers pain and symptom care to those reaching the end of their lives.

Cancer pain is one of the most common and hardest symptoms to deal with in palliative care and it is also one of the most distressing. Despite advancements in cancer care and pain management in palliative care, nearly 52 percent of patients with advanced disease reported experiencing moderate to severe pain at some point. It can have a negative impact on one’s quality of life, interfere with daily tasks and even impair fundamental functions such as mobility and sleep. Uncontrolled pain frequently results in unnecessarily prolonged suffering. The ability of patients to manage with disease is reduced when they are suffering from uncontrolled pain, which has the additional effect of interfering with ongoing anti-cancer therapy. Cancer pain management is hampered by doctors’ and patients’ worry and concern, which makes it difficult to provide adequate care. It is possible that clinicians are reluctant to increase opioid dosages due to beliefs about opioids causing respiratory depression and addiction, as well as shorter life expectancy.

An in-depth evaluation and understanding of the patient’s discomfort must take place. The pain should be evaluated to see whether it is due to the disease or a surgery or whether it has a different source, as well as whether it falls into one of the known cancer pain syndromes.

Palliative Care Versus Hospice Care: What are the differences?

Even though the terms “hospice care” and “palliative care” are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Palliative care is a part of the process at every step. It adds an additional layer of support for cancer patients at any stage. Palliative care is included in hospice care. Hospice care is only given to terminally ill cancer patients with less than a six-month prognosis. Your doctor may offer medicines that relieve symptoms or that target the cancer if you have an advanced disease. Even if you decide to discontinue cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, you are still actively “fighting” the disease. It does not imply, however, that you have been abandoned by your medical team or that they have given up on you. Instead, you may want to concentrate on reducing your symptoms and getting more help in every area of your life. To aid with the transition and deal with the physical and emotional challenges that come with choosing pain management in hospice and palliative care, a member of the palliative care team will be assigned to the patient.

When And Where Are Palliative Care Services Provided?

It is preferred that palliative care begin as early in the cancer care process as possible and continue throughout the patient’s illness. Even before diagnosis, if there are any new symptoms, adverse effects or symptoms that require more supportive care, this could be taken to mean. If palliative care is suggested, you may receive it in a doctor’s office or hospital or in a cancer center or long-term care facility. It may also be provided to you in your home. Consult a palliative care or pain management specialist, such as a nurse or oncology social worker, to learn about your options.

Who Provides Palliative care?

Several health care providers may be involved in palliative care because it aims to provide patients and their families with all of these aspects of assistance at the same time. It’s not uncommon for the same medical team that manages your disease-directed care to also oversee palliative care. There are situations when an oncologist recommends consulting a palliative care professional for pain management in hospice and palliative care. Patients, families and caregivers benefit from the considerable training that palliative care practitioners receive to help them cope with a life-threatening illness. A palliative care specialist does not take the place of your oncologist if you are referred to one. These doctors will collaborate to create a care plan tailored to your individual requirements and goals. Medical professionals will make adjustments to your treatment as your requirements and preferences change. In addition, they will enlist the help of additional specialists and health care professionals as required. Melodia care offers hospice care to cancer patients and our staff includes individuals with a wide range of expertise. Additionally, as needed, they will seek the assistance of other specialists and health care professionals. Some members of the palliative care team might include the following:

Doctor who specializes in cancer treatment is an oncologist. Your oncologist frequently acts as the point person for the rest of your medical team. He or she is in charge of coming up with a treatment plan for you, as well as selecting medications and prescribing them appropriately. To come up with a palliative care plan, he or she may consult with other medical professionals. A physician who specializes in palliative medicine or pain management could be one of them.
This specialist has training and experience in both hospice and palliative medicine. He or she collaborates with the rest of the medical staff to treat the patient’s symptoms and any accompanying side effects. To ensure that the treatment plan is in line with a patient’s goals and values, a palliative medicine doctor will consult with him or her about them as well.
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are both types of nurses. Managing pain and other symptoms is a job for the nurses on your team. In addition, they serve as a point of contact for the rest of your medical staff. You may be visited by nurses on a frequent basis if you are receiving palliative care at home. They will check on you to make sure your requirements are being addressed.
Counseling and family gatherings are organized by a social worker. Help with practical difficulties like transportation can be provided by a social worker, as can introductions to nearby resources. Social workers can also help patients locate home health care or hospice care after they’ve been discharged from the hospital.
A pain specialist is a doctor who specializes in treating pain by determining the source of it and curing it accordingly. Prescription drugs, rehabilitation programs and/or pain-relieving treatments are all options available to patients under their care. It’s possible that an oncologist or palliative medicine doctor can manage your pain without referring you to a pain expert.
A chaplain is typically a follower of a certain faith. This person has received special training in dealing with patients’ and families’ fears about bereavement. For other faith-related and spiritual issues, chaplains are also on hand to help you out. When someone is battling a life-threatening disease, having the assistance of a chaplain can be quite beneficial.
Nutritional issues such as nausea or loss of appetite can be addressed with the assistance of a nutritionist. Additionally, dietitians can offer advice on dietary supplements and assist with the creation of personalized eating programs.
Therapists that specialize in physical and occupational medicine. Maintaining mobility and improving mobility are key goals for a physical therapist. Physical therapists construct workout plans to help you stay in shape during and after care as well as keep it that way. Occupational therapists help patients maintain their independence by focusing on everyday tasks and functioning, particularly upper body movement.
Specialized in supporting young people. Professionals with particular training assist youngsters and their families in comprehending a life-threatening disease. In addition, they help their younger siblings as they go through the process. Volunteers. In many palliative care programs, specially trained volunteers go out to patients’ homes to provide companionship and emotional support for them.
Simple chores like reading aloud or jotting down notes are commonly performed by volunteers but they can also sit and speak. Volunteers frequently offer caregivers a break by taking their place.
A grief coordinator offers support and guidance to family members who are grieving the loss of a loved one or have already experienced it. They’ve completed post-secondary education in a related field like social work or psychology.

How Do You Get Palliative Care?

Please contact Melodia Care to learn more about the palliative care services for cancer patients that are available to you. If you have any questions, you can get in touch with Melodia Care and get answers. This might help you and your family understand why you believe palliative care is so vital. A palliative care specialist can also be recommended, so be sure to ask whether that’s an option. Palliative care specialists are happy to provide assistance and information to health care professionals and they can put you in touch with them. It is possible to advocate for yourself or have a friend or family member advocate on your behalf, so that you have access to the resources you need, including palliative care chronic pain management, throughout the course of your illness recovery process.

You can reach us at any time of day or night by contacting us through our 24/7 online customer support chat or by calling 1-888 635-6347 (MELODI-7).