The significance and problems of the patients as for shifting to palliative care at home for end-stage cancer

Abstract

After group categorization based on prognosis prediction by the Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI), the duration from the intervention by the palliative care team until the patient's death, time until shifting to care at home, and period for home care were comparatively investigated in nine patients with end-stage cancer who were shifted to home care and 20 patients who were treated until their deaths in the hospital. A questionnaire survey was carried out for analysis as to the visiting nursing station in six patients who received care at home until their deaths. Concequently, there was no difference between home care cases and hospital cases in the period from the intervention by the palliative care team to the patient's death. The questionnaire survey showed that about half of the patients became unable to eat soon after shifting to home care. In addition, five of the six patients who had shifted to home care were satisfied but half of family members answered to feel uneasy deeply. Accordingly, the timing of shifting to home care was considered appropriate, but aggravation of eating status of the patients and insufficient family care might be the problems to be solved.