Our Home Care Experiences 18th April 2020
Introduction
Our home care team would share our experiences during our home visits. We hope that the reader would find our shared experience helpful. We will use case stories to explain the skill. In the event if any name is stated, bear in mind it is fictitious to protect the identity of our client.
NCI definition for End of Life
Care given to people who are near the end of life and have stopped treatment to cure or control their disease. End-of-life care includes physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support for patients and their families. The goal of end-of-life care is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can be as comfortable as possible. End-of-life care may include palliative care, supportive care, and hospice care.
What is terminal cancer?
Terminal cancer is cancer which can’t be cured and isn’t responding to treatment, and that the person is likely to die from. Any kind of cancer can become terminal. When someone has terminal cancer, the emphasis of treatment or care will be on managing the person’s symptoms and making sure they have a good quality of life.
Some people find it difficult when they’ve been having cancer treatment to learn that it’s not working. The person’s treatment may be stopped, and the focus can change from trying to cure the illness to managing the symptoms. Talking to a doctor or member of the palliative care team may help, as they will be able to advise on finding the right treatment, care and emotional support.
Terminal cancer is different to advanced cancer. Although advanced cancer is also incurable, people with advanced cancer may still have treatments which could help to prolong their life. They can also receive palliative care alongside their treatment.
Dietary issues in the terminal or end of life care
The most common concern amongst family members or carers is: ‘ She /he does not eat enough’. We have encountered this at every home visit and hence it is our top priority matter to address. It may seem rather simple that we wish to address this first. We will explain our reasons as we go along.
Food is our main cultural pre-occupation in our normal lives. We tend to meet friends or have business meetings centred around food. So it is not a surprise that one falls sick food intake take takes the highest spot in the care. For the family member or carer, preparation of food and ensuring the sick eats is of paramount importance. When one has cancer, this matter becomes significant.
With a diagnosis of cancer the quandary of why one gets cancer becomes the sole preoccupation not only for the patient but also family and friends. This is the start of the slippery slope. Most will become vegetarian or vegan when all their lives they have never liked vegetarian food. Additionally, supplements become FOOD. As health care providers (HCP) we face this continually. The patient and family will hide any intake of supplements from HCP. Only if some strange problem crops up will the HCP make further enquiries about intake of supplements.
The intake of supplement is what we encounter at nearly all home visit. Once again, this will be hidden from us. There will be numerous complaints ranging from feeling nauseous, constipation, feeling bloated, unable to sleep, not wanting to eat and the list can go on. Now not all complaints are linked to supplements. Hence the need to explore, exclude and solve the matter.
Here we will describe a case scenario. During our visit to this client who had progressed after treatment had failed for Ovarian cancer. The family complained that she always felt bloated, is constipated for few days and at most meal times takes only a few spoons of soup or porridge. She was not in much physical pain but appeared to be in discomfort. She said she felt she had lot of gas. Clinically there was no ascites (water in abdomen), and she was not short of breath.
Hence we explored regarding her diet. That was when we were taken by surprise. She had a wide range of supplementary diet ranging from different types of protein milk, different types of antioxidant juices, high energy drinks and a concoction of vitamins like B17 that she was taking. This was on top of her other medication for hypertension and pain management. She took all these regularly at 2 to 3 hours. Her family especially her husband supervised her intake.
Our meal plan for her was based on her current need. We explained that all these energising protein foods are useful when one is undergoing treatment for cancer. However, now she spends most times in bed, walking occasionally, her energy requirements are different. Now it would be easier for her digestive system to take simple carbohydrate diet. The advantage of such diets is that it is easier to digest and bloated feeling would be less intense. Besides, it is something that can be prepared as part of the main family meal. For example, Asians need rice at main meals. The cooked rice water can be the broth for a soup or as a drink instead of plain water. Other substitutes can be barley or mung bean drink. We encouraged them to give her other soft food like jelly or ice cream and even soft- boiled eggs and noodle soup. Her eyes lit up when she heard she could eat noodle soup.
In addition, we advised the family to serve small portions each time and the intervals can be smaller or based on her need.
The main emphasis during our home visit was that she should eat what she likes and not what has been recommended by others as health benefit.
We checked on them a few days later and the family said she felt better. The feeling of bloated was reduced and she also passed motion. That brought great relief to her once she was able to pass motion. It is indeed surprising how opening the bowel is to the human psyche. She no longer had nausea.
Conclusion
We need to acknowledge that we are never sure about the interactions of various supplements. Hence, if we do not explore and take a detailed history, we would prescribe medications to address her symptoms. However, that will not resolve the cause of her symptoms.
Hence it is advisable that the family share such information with the home care team. This would help the team to assist you better and improve the quality of life during the final phase of one’s life.
We have given some tips below on symptoms of EOL to help family or carers for easy refence. In addition, we have included websites that you can check if you wish to have more information under the refences section.
Symptoms of EOL
The following describes the physical symptoms you may observe. Here are end-of-life signs and helpful tips:
1. Coolness. Hands, arms, feet, and legs may be increasingly cool to the touch. The color of the skin may change and become mottled. How you can help: Keep the person warm with comfortable, soft blankets.
2. Confusion. The patient may not know time or place and may not be able to identify people around them. How you can help: If this end-of-life sign is occurring, Identify yourself by name before you speak. Speak normally, clearly, and truthfully. Explain things such as, “It’s time to take your medicine now.” Explain the reason for things, such as, “So you won’t start to hurt.”
3. Sleeping. An increasing amount of time may be spent sleeping. The person may become unresponsive, uncommunicative, and difficult to arouse. How you can help: Sleeping more frequently is normal. You can sit quietly with them. Speak in a normal voice. Hold their hand. Assume they can hear everything you say. They probably can.
4. Incontinence. They may lose control of urinary/bowel functions. This is a common end-of-life change that can occur during the process of passing on. How you can help: Keep your loved one clean and comfortable. Ask your hospice nurse for advice.
5. Restlessness. The person may make repetitive motions such as pulling at the bed linen or clothing. This is due in part to A decrease in oxygen. How you can help: Do not interfere with these movements or try to restrain them. Speak in a quiet, natural way. Lightly massage their forehead. Read to them. Play soothing music.
6. Congestion. There may be gurgling sounds inside the chest. This is also sometimes referred to as a "Death Rattle." These may be loud. This end-of-life symptom does not indicate the onset of severe pain. How you can help: Gently turn their head to the side to drain secretions. Gently wipe their mouth with a moist cloth.
7. Urine decrease. Output may decrease and become tea colored. How you can help: Consult your hospice nurse.
8. Fluid and food decrease. Your loved one may want little or no food or fluid. The body will naturally conserve energy required for the task ahead. Food is no longer needed. How you can help: If this end-of-life symptom is present, do not force them to eat or drink if they don’t want to. It only makes them more uncomfortable. Small chips of ice or frozen juice chips might be refreshing. A cool, moist cloth on their forehead might help.
9. Change in breathing. The person may take shallow breaths with periods of no breathing for a few seconds to a minute. They may experience periods of rapid, shallow panting. These patterns are common and indicate decrease in circulation. How you can help: Elevating their head or turning them on their side may bring comfort. Hold their hand. Speak gently.
10. Fever. Increase in temperature is common. How you can help: Consult your hospice nurse. A cool, moist cloth on their forehead may bring comfort.
Carer’s Feedback (Kala’s input)
Here are some of my thoughts as a care giver.
- I believed that in order to maintain strength one must eat. However, a cancer patient deals with many side effects and eating becomes challenging for them. I was often worried that my husband won’t have the strength to fight the disease and therefore was stressed about his food intake. I remember his oncologist telling me, forget how he used to eat. Start thinking about what he wants to eat now. That really helped me refocus. As you had written, society has filled us with pre-conceived notions about food.
- At one point, my husband had developed diabetes due to the treatments. So, for years before he became very sick, we had to manage his sugar intake. His triglycerides were high and that too had to be managed. However, at the end of his life, I had to forget about his diabetes and other ailments and was giving him ice-cream shakes full of sugar and calories. Again, my focus had to change.
I think that was the biggest lesson I had to learn. People who are terminal are still worrying about their diabetes or cholesterol, when its not something they need to worry about.
Kala, USA
References
1. End of Life Definition- NCI. www.cancer.gov
2. What is Terminal Illness? Definition of Terminal Illness. www.mariecurie.org.uk
3.Patient Hydration and Nutrition -Marie Curie. www,mariecurie.org.uk
4. How Food is Making a Difference in End-of-Life- The Care Issue. Thecareissue.jaga-me.com