Cancer treatment can affect your ability to perform day-to-day activities and can even change your appetite. Cancer treatment and the effects of cancer can make you tired and sick, and can make you feel weak and frustrated.
Undergoing cancer treatment can also make your family members tired because they can also get exhausted from the frequent visits to the hospital. Home health care can provide you and your family members the care and support you need to be able to manage your daily activities. Home health care for cancer patients can provide you with personalized services to care for you in the comfort of your own home.
How Home Health Care Helps You Cope with Cancer
Cancer treatment can make your body feel very weak and unhealthy. Cancer treatment can leave you feeling tired and weak. In addition, treatment can make you feel very sick and may also take a toll on your family members.
There are home health care services that can help your family with basic daily tasks as well as care activities. Other home health care services can also provide you with nursing activities that may also be prescribed for you. The services are entirely customized for your individual needs and can change as your needs change.
1. Skilled Nursing for Oncology Patients
Caring for a patient with cancer may sometimes require skilled nursing. This may include evaluating the patient’s overall health status, assisting with medication management, providing wound care, and assisting with the overall understanding of patient care.
Skilled nursing is one of the services offered at Faith Health Group. The exact services provided are determined by the patient’s assessment, condition, and care plan. Nurses, upon approval of the caring physician, may also help facilitate management of the patient’s overall care.
2. Nausea, Vomiting, Fatigue and other Chemo Side Effects
Fatigue and nausea are some of the side effects of chemotherapy. These side effects vary from patient to patient. Side effects may be managed by the oncology team. Cancer care at home may not manage side effects. Home care also does not replace the treatment and management of the patient’s cancer.
3. Personal Care
Fundamental activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing may be adversely affected by cancer and its treatment. Home care may provide assistance in performing these activities for the patient, and may also reduce the stress and fatigue that caregivers experience.
4. Symptom and Medication Management
Cancer patients may also experience side effects that require management. Medications for these side effects may also be prescribed. Home care may be able to assist with the patient’s overall management of symptoms and effects of the cancer and its treatment.
Stick to a routine. Our care professionals are trained to provide medication reminders. Licensed nurses on our team can assist with the administration of medication, if allowed by the patient’s plan of care. For the safety of the patient, we request that all dose changes be approved by the patient’s healthcare provider.
5. Nutrition, Rest, and Emotional Support
Treatment can decrease your appetite. Fatigue can also impact your ability to perform daily activities. Our care professionals can assist you in completing everyday tasks. They can also coordinate meals to be provided to you or assist you in getting out for eating. To help ease your fatigue, care professionals can assist in organizing a gentle schedule of activities to engage in.
A familiar care professional can assist you in performing everyday tasks and provide you with emotional support. Care professionals can also help you arrange and maintain a schedule of activities. Family members can also assist with this by communicating their cultural preferences to us.
There are several benefits of using our services, including the fact that you will be able to receive your medical care and support in the comfort of your home, and that your medical support at home can be scheduled to provide you with the support you require according to your personal preferences. Our chemotherapy side effect support can also help your family members by giving them an opportunity to leave the home to engage in other activities.
When the family does not follow through on the care instructions provided by the treating healthcare team, it is often due to their lack of understanding of the care instructions. In such circumstances, communicating with the treating healthcare team often resolves the situation.
When is it Appropriate to Get Home Healthcare?
It is always preferable to provide care to a family member yourself.
Professional care becomes necessary when the family member:
- Cannot perform activities of daily living (i.e., bathing, dressing, feeding, etc.) on their own.
- Is at risk of injury while attempting to perform activities of daily living.
- Cannot understand their care responsibilities, or
- Cannot comprehend their treatment plan, as well as the rationale behind it.
- Needs regular supervision.
- Requires assistance while performing activities of daily living.
- Is constantly demanding, emotionally or physically draining on the family members providing care.
- Is engaging in potentially harmful or risky activities.
When a family member has cancer, not only does the family member become vulnerable, but the family itself becomes vulnerable as well. New family responsibilities and obligations arise for which the family has no prior experience. Professional home care services can help ease some of the new responsibilities family members have been made to undertake as a result of the cancer diagnosis.
Flexible Home Health Care Services in New Jersey
Depending on your needs and circumstances, our trained staff can provide 24/7 home care or skilled nursing care and rehabilitation. The staff is trained to develop and implement custom care plans based on your needs.
Call us at (973) 244-2480 to get additional information on the home care services we provide and to determine what home care services are available for your family member. For more information, please visit Faith Health Group’s Home Health Care New Jersey Services.
FAQs
1. What is home health care for cancer patients?
Home health care helps with routine tasks, personal care, and other services such as skilled nursing and therapy. The type and level of service depends on the needs of the patient and the plan of care.
2. Can cancer patients receive care at home while undergoing chemotherapy?
Home health care services can be provided to patients during and after treatment. Care can be provided to patients at home while they undergo outpatient chemotherapy. Non-therapy-related personal care activities can be provided at home; however, chemotherapy and other cancer treatments can only be administered by professionals at approved locations.
3. Does home health care in New Jersey include skilled nursing for cancer patients?
Yes. Faith Health Group, Inc. provides skilled nursing in New Jersey. The services provided are based on the needs of the patient, the plan of care developed by the professional, and the services authorized by the insurance company.
4. Is it possible for a cancer patient to have 24-hour home health care?
Home health care services can be provided 24 hours a day. The level of care and supervision provided is based on the needs of the patient.
