HOSPICE CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS

Compassionate End-of-Life Care and Support Services for Patients Suffering from Cancer

While a cancer patient’s goal is long-term control of the malignancy and a return to health, there may come a time when cancer can no longer be controlled or when the response to treatment is less than hoped for.

Aria Hospice care for cancer patients focuses entirely on quality of life  and is designed to address a wide range of issues, including pain, weight loss and progression of other symptoms.  Aria Hospice provides the emotional and spiritual support that cancer patients and their loved ones seek, all tailored to the patient’s needs.

When is the Cancer Patient Eligible for Hospice Care?

hospice care for cancer patients san diego

In oncology, the biggest predictor of hospice eligibility is the patient’s functional status, which is determined by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale or the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). This is one of the ‘tools’ Aria Hospice uses  when determining if the patient is appropriate for hospice care.

  • Additionally, and under Medicare regulatory requirements. in or to admit a patient under cancer, the patient should exhibit the following clinical indicators:The cancer has metastasized at presentation or
  • The cancer has progressed from an earlier stage of disease to metastatic disease with either:
  • A continued decline in spite of therapy; or
  • The patient declines further disease directed therapy.

Note: Certain cancers with poor prognoses (e.g., small cell lung cancer, brain cancer and pancreatic cancer) may be hospice eligible without fulfilling above criteria section.

Aria Hospice care for cancer patients is a special kind of care that provides comfort, support, and dignity at the end of life, typically when you or your loved one’s life expectancy is six months or less. Aria Hospice believes that hospice care is for the whole person, addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and that hospice care for cancer patients is often described as an approach that treats the patient, not the disease.

When Is the Right Time for Hospice?

Only a doctor can make the clinical determination about a cancer patient’s prognosis. When it becomes six months or less, the patient is considered to have advanced-stage cancer, and can benefit from hospice services. Each patient is different, and symptoms vary according to the kind of cancer they have, but there are a few signs consistent among cancers that commonly mean the disease has progressed to the advanced stage, for example:

  • The burden of treatment on the patient and family outweighs the potential benefits
  • The patient is rapidly weakening and the malignancy is progressing
  • Treatment is no longer or has never been fully effective
  • An increase in pain, nausea, respiratory distress or other symptoms
  • Repeated hospitalizations or trips to the ER
  • Failure to “bounce back” after medical set-backs occur
  • Increasing assistance needed for walking, eating, bathing, dressing or going to the toilet
  • Decreasing alertness – patient is emotionally withdrawn, sleeping more or having increased difficulty with comprehension

Aria Hospice experienced and well-trained interdisciplinary team of hospice nurses, home health aides, homemakers, hospice social workers, hospice spiritual counselors, therapists, bereavement counselors, hospice massage therapists and volunteers are ready to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Aria Hospice recognizes the emotional toll and immense courage it takes to help a loved one who is suffering from a terminal illness like cancer. Call Aria Hospice today to see if hospice care is an appropriate option.

Benefits of Aria Hospice Care for Patients Suffering from Cancer

Pain Management – Patients with cancer often experience pain caused by the progression of the disease. Aria Hospice Team provides comfort care which focuses on relieving pain and maintaining comfort.

Symptom Control – Aria Hospice Care Team regularly assesses each patient’s condition and works with the physician to determine the most effective treatment and medication options to maximize symptom control.

Hospice Care at Home –  The goal of hospice care is to support patients by meeting their needs and managing their care at home – wherever they may call home, using holistic approach that includes hospice massages and emotional and spiritual approaches.

Coordinated Care Approach – Hospice care is a team effort. The patient’s family and loved ones are actively involved along with a team of professionals and volunteers. With the help and support of the hospice care team, the patient and their family can attain physical, emotional, and spiritual preparedness for the end of life.

We Listen. We Care. We Serve.

When you are faced with the challenge of finding a hospice provider to help care for the emotional and physical well being of someone you love, maybe your mom or dad, you will be faced with many questions.

Making the decision about hospice care for a loved one is never easy, but finding the right answers can help you feel more comfortable with the options available and confident in your final decision.

Aria Hospice operates hospice care programs throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties in Southern California. We pride ourselves on being one of the areas leading providers of end-of-life care.

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WHO CAN RECEIVE HOSPICE CARE?

Anyone diagnosed with a limited life expectancy can receive Aria Hospice care.

Once a physician certifies that an illness is terminal, (a life expectancy of six months or less), they will collaborate with the Aria Hospice team for services, tailored to the needs and wishes of the patient.

Many patients have cancer, but Aria Hospice cares for individuals with many other life-limiting illness, including heart and lung disease, kidney disease, neurological disorders, stroke, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Family and friends also receive the benefit of hospice care, to help them support the patient and adapt to changes in their lives.

Many people mistakenly believe that all hospice patients are bed-bound, critically ill, and unable to continue living life to the fullest. Hospice celebrates life and supports you in achieving your individual needs in this chapter of your life.

Contact our Admission Coordinator at Aria Hospice in San Diego County or Imperial County with any questions you may have about hospice care or eligibility.

who can receive hospice care

WHY CHOOSE ARIA HOSPICE CARE?

After receiving a diagnosis for limited life expectancy, patients must make an important choice about goals for their treatment.

why choose aria hospice care

When a physician determines that there is no curative treatment for a particular illness, the treatment is not helping any longer or you decide that the side effects of treatment are too great, you may consider choosing comfort care as your ultimate goal.

Aggressive medical treatment focuses on curing the physical illness rather than satisfying the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs. It often requires intensive care in a clinical setting that can diminish quality of life. Hospice care has the focus of comfort, by relieving pain and other symptoms, while continuing to address emotional and spiritual needs of both the patient and family.

Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death, but relieves pain and physical discomfort so that the patient can experience a more peaceful and satisfying quality of life. At Aria Hospice, care is designed to primarily take place in the home or place of residence. Many families tell us that they waited too long to take full advantage of all the benefits offered by hospice care.

SEE WHAT FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ARIA HOSPICE

Our Team is Here to Help!

We are one of Southern California’s premier providers of end-of-life care. Click the button below to Request Information or call (619) 795-6010 to learn how hospice care can help.