Home Care for Mesothelioma Patients

With home care for mesothelioma patients, a caregiver works in the patient’s home to provide services comparable to what patients receive in the hospital. Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer — and as it progresses, it can be debilitating. Mesothelioma home care allows patients to get care from skilled nurses, social workers, housekeepers, and more, keeping them healthy and safe outside of a hospital setting.

What Is Mesothelioma Home Care?

Home care for mesothelioma allows professionals to address your health care needs, taking some of the burden off of you and your loved ones.

A home caregiver (such as a nurse) can help with daily tasks like getting dressed and even administer some cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

Other mesothelioma home care duties may include:

  • Bathing
  • Cleaning and home maintenance
  • Driving to appointments
  • Helping with finances
  • Offering companionship and emotional support
  • Planning meals and feeding
  • Scheduling appointments

There are in-home caregiving services available for patients diagnosed with early- or late-stage mesothelioma.

There are also resources to help you cover the costs of home care for mesothelioma. Contact us to learn more about mesothelioma home care and how to pay for it.

Types of Home Care for Mesothelioma Patients

Nurses

Registered nurses can help patients by developing a mesothelioma treatment plan, administering treatments like chemotherapy through an IV, managing the side effects of medications, and even providing emotional support. Their work is tailored to each specific patient’s needs.

Home Health Aides

Home health aides can provide some medical care, but they are not certified nurses. These mesothelioma caregivers can help patients walk around the home, get out of bed, and also provide medical services (such as medication management) with proper training and nurse supervision.

Social Workers

The American Cancer Society (ACS) describes social workers as case managers for cancer patients, connecting them to care options in the community and providing emotional support.

“Many people ask oncology (cancer) social workers, ‘What do you do?’ and to us, the more pertinent question might be, ‘What is it you don’t do?’. Oncology social workers provide information on resources, medical and insurance coverage, and how to talk to your family and the children in your lives about cancer.”

– Penelope Damaskos, Director of Social Work at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Housekeeping Agencies

Workers at these agencies help with day-to-day tasks such as making meals, assisting with bathing and dressing, and keeping the home clean.

Physical Therapists

Physical therapists can help mesothelioma patients regain their strength after undergoing major treatments. For example, pleural mesothelioma patients who had to undergo a lung-removal surgery can work with a physical therapist to perform exercises and improve their breathing.

Pharmaceutical and Infusion Therapy Companies

These companies deliver medications and equipment to patients who need IV treatments at home. They also teach cancer patients and loved ones how to administer the treatments.

Medical Equipment Providers

These companies deliver equipment such as respirators, oxygen tanks, wheelchairs, and walkers. They also set the devices up and teach mesothelioma patients and their caregivers how to use them.

In-Home Hospice Care

This involves a skilled team of experts and volunteers who provide end-of-life care services. Hospice care providers help family members care for patients and do everything possible to ease the patient’s pain.

VA Homemakers and Home Health Aide Care

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may provide personal aides to veterans with mesothelioma. These aides and homemakers are trained to help patients eat, bathe, and get dressed under the direction of registered nurses. Veterans can pursue these services by filing for VA benefits.

Benefits of Home Care for Mesothelioma Patients

Home care for mesothelioma can help you:

Manage your cancer treatments: For example, if you must take daily chemotherapy drugs, a nurse can make sure you do so.

Avoid treatment complications: It may take several weeks or months to recover from a major mesothelioma treatment like surgery once you’re discharged from the hospital. In-home nurses and therapists can help you gain your strength back and avoid possible complications in the process.

Feel less alone: Life after a mesothelioma diagnosis can be isolating and scary, especially if loved ones or family live far away. Home caregivers can provide companionship and ease this sense of loneliness.

Hiring in-home care services can also take some of the caregiving responsibilities from your loved ones and allow them to recharge.

Finding a Home Caregiver

As you search for a home caregiver, it’s important to find one that best suits your needs and can address your concerns.

Questions to ask when hiring a home health care provider include:

  • Are you accredited by a nationally recognized organization?
  • Are you Medicare-certified?
  • Do you have written statements that list your services?
  • How many years have you been in service?
  • Will you create a medical care plan based on my specific needs?
  • Can you offer professional medical advice?
  • Are references available?
  • Do you require a family caregiver or other primary caregiver in the home at all times?
  • How do you handle payment and billing?
  • If a respirator or oxygen machine is provided, who is available if any equipment problems occur?
  • Do you have a 24-hour phone number for any questions or concerns?
  • Is there an emergency plan in case of a power failure?
  • How quickly can you start?

These questions can help you determine how much experience a caregiver has and if they are a good fit for you. You can get care from several types of home care providers to make sure all your needs are met.

Paying for Mesothelioma Home Care

To afford home care for mesothelioma, you can start by contacting your insurance company. This can give you a better idea of what services will be covered and what ones aren’t.

Home care for mesothelioma patients must be considered medically necessary to be covered by most health insurance plans. Different plans have different policies, and Medicaid coverage varies based on the state a patient lives in.

You may still have out-of-pocket costs even with health insurance. However, you may be entitled to mesothelioma compensation that can help cover these expenses.

Asbestos-caused mesothelioma is a preventable disease. Negligent asbestos companies knew their products could cause deadly illnesses, but they hid this knowledge from employers, consumers, and the military. For this reason, compensation is available to victims harmed by these manufacturers’ products.

Find a Mesothelioma Home Care Professional

You can access mesothelioma home care from:

  • Home health agencies
  • Hospice organizations
  • Home care aid agencies
  • Staffing agencies
  • Medical equipment and supply companies
  • Pharmaceutical companies

To learn more about finding home care for mesothelioma — and how to pay for it — contact us now. Our team of Case Managers is available 24/7 to answer your questions and help you get the care you deserve.