Palliative care for elderly patients with advanced cancer: a long-term intervention for end-of-life care.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18372143.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.pec.2008.02.023.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This essay identifies elderly cancer patients as a population that experiences cancer-related health disparities at the end-of-life. METHODS: While hospice and palliative care (PC) are care options for this population, it is argued that PC prior to hospice will yield numerous benefits for long-term end-of-life care. RESULTS: It is theorized that PC prior to hospice will be beneficial in meeting the family's needs in a timely and adequate manner, improving quality of life, increasing caregiver satisfaction and communication, possibly delay institutionalization of the patient, and may ultimately impact bereavement. CONCLUSION: Patients would be able to benefit from PC in an early stage of their disease, positively influencing older cancer patients and families. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Long-term assessment of the impact of PC prior to hospice is proposed as a promising direction of future research.