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Palliative care for elderly patients with advanced cancer: a long-term intervention for end-of-life care
Elaine M Wittenberg-Lyles1, Sandra Sanchez-Reilly
1Department of Communication Studies, University of North Texas, PO Box 305268, Denton, TX 76203-5268, United States. lyles@unt.edu
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.
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