East or west home has always been best. Cancer patients are more comfortable when surrounded by familiar faces of their loved ones thus most of them prefer home care as compared to staying in the hospital.
Cancer patients often feel more comfortable and secure being cared for at home. Many patients want to stay at home so they will not be separated from family, friends, and familiar surroundings. Home care can help patients achieve this desire. It often involves a team approach that includes doctors, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, family members, and others.
Home care can be both rewarding and demanding for patients and caregivers. It can change relationships and require families to address new issues and cope with all aspects of patient care. To help prepare for these changes, patients and caregivers are encouraged to ask questions and get as much information as possible from the home care team or organizations devoted to home care. A doctor, nurse, or social worker can provide information about a patient’s specific needs, the availability of home care services, and a list of local home care agencies.
Sourced from: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/managing-care/home-care-fact-sheet
To care for a cancer patient at home successfully will require the services of a good home care agency. These agencies normally provide the same services that one would get in a hospital. The services include therapy, nursing and any other service required pertaining to the patient.
Through a home care agency, you can get many of the same care and services as in a hospital. A doctor will work with your home health care providers to set up your plan of care. This plan includes the services you need, the type of staff best suited to provide those services, and how often the services are needed.
Nursing care
A highly skilled registered nurse (RN) can be very helpful to a cancer patient at home and can help relieve the burden on family members. With home care, a nurse comes into the home, looks at the care needs you and your family have, and sets up a plan of care along with the doctor. Services may include the care of wounds, ostomy care, giving intravenous (IV) treatments, giving and supervising medicines, and watching for side effects. Your care plan may also include giving supportive care, like pain control, as well as health teaching and emotional support. The needs of both the patient and the family are covered.
Physical therapy
Physical therapists can help you to regain the use of impaired or weakened muscles. They also work with you to improve the range of motion in joints and learn to use any special equipment needed for daily activities.
Occupational therapy
An occupational therapist can help you with problems that keep you from doing activities of daily living. An occupational therapist will look at what you can do, and then teach you ways to do daily tasks, like eating, bathing, dressing, and household routines. If special equipment is needed, you will be taught to use it. With the therapist’s help, you can learn to do more things on your own.
Paying for home care is not an easy affair. There are a lot of expenses incurred and therefore cancer patients and their families need help in paying cancer care bills.
Many people affected by cancer can’t afford to pay for important health care services. Fortunately, a variety of health care assistance programs are available to help those who have a financial need. Knowing about the most common types of health care assistance programs can help you get the best and most affordable health care available for your situation.
Ways to find health care assistance programs in your area:
Contact a nearby nonprofit cancer organization or hospital and ask for a patient services representative.
Search online using keywords and the name of your community. For example, search for “low-income health care, Austin, TX.”
Check listings in the government or business sections of your local telephone directory.
Talk with a professional, such as a social worker or a representative from the Department of Health and Human Services in your area.
Call the United Way 2-1-1 telephone helpline that is available in many areas.
Ask family members and friends.
Sourced from: http://www.livestrong.org/we-can-help/insurance-and-financial-assistance/health-care-assistance-for-uninsured/
