Cancer Care Involves Difficult Decisions

In a time when modern medicine can extend the lives of so many people, there are grandparents and great grandparents who are getting to attend weddings and baptisms, as well as other family celebrations. At the same time, however, children of these grandparents and great grandparents who are faced with difficult decisions about quality of life. From the much simpler task of knowing which skilled nursing location to use to the more complicated decisions about breathing tubes and other medical procedures, if you have not had the important conversations with your elders, you may find yourself in a very difficult situation.

If you have an aging loved one in your family then you likely understand all of the challenges that come with this process. And while there are many great things about living longer, the nation as a whole continues to deal with the implications that come with an older generation that is in need of assisted living options, skilled care, and, when possible, aging at home.

From the proton therapy options that many patients are considering to other types of radiation treatment for cancer, finding the right doctor is a significant part of the solution. So, too, is finding a cancer treatment center that will provide the COMPASSIONATE care that is also needed:

• Considering all of the options for care if you are making decisions about where a spouse, parent, or grandparent will live when they are no longer able to be at home is a stressful situation.
• One of the most important ways for this decision to be easier to manage is if you have had previous discussions with your loved one about what his or her preferences are.
• Making these transitional decisions after an unexpected fall or health emergency, however, can seem overwhelming.
• Parents and grandparents, as well as spouses, really provide their younger family members an advantage when these difficult discussions are had long before they are ever needed.
• As parents or grandparents age they often need access to more specific kinds of care.
• Senior living centers are available in a number of price ranges and can include a number of different amenities. Knowing what your budget is and what kind of conveniences you are willing to pay for can help with many of the decisions that need to be made.
• Some people make the decision to transition out of their own home and more into a full service retirement community at a fairly early age. Wanting to escape the maintenance that is required when you own your home is one of the main reasons that individuals and couples alike decide to move into retirement communities that have graduated levels of care.
• Instead of making a decision based on information that is available on a website, it is more important to visit any place you are considering in person. Understanding the cleanliness of a facility and the kind of care that is administered is easier to do if you are able to make one, or sometimes more, in person visits.
• One of the latest advanced cancer treatment options is proton radiation treatment for cancer. Finding this treatment in a center that makes you feel comfortable may be key.
• Not everyone is a candidate for aging at home. Some individuals are able to age in place in their own homes and have the services they need brought to them, but there are others who need to look for a place to stay outside of their own home to get the kind of care that they need.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 34.5% of men who are 20 years and older are obese and 32.6% have high blood pressure or are taking prescriptions for hypertension.
• These at risk health factors can lead to even more significant future problems. In fact, today’s high blood pressure patients who are obese may find themselves more likely to be seeking radiation treatment for cancer later in life.
• Every person benefits from compassionate care.

It is important to find the right radiation treatment for cancer, but it is also important to search for a cancer treatment therapy center that will provide the compassionate care that the entire family needs. Discussions ahead of time help families make difficult care decisions when it comes to everything from head and neck cancer treatment options to assistant living locations.