Quick Question

[auntiefi]

Hi

I wonder if anyone can help. My dad has terminal throat and lung cancer. He is deteriorating rapidly and starting to suffer. He is keen to stay at home.

What are the signs things are coming to an end? He is very tottery on his feet and not able to walk through the house without sitting down. he is also very confused and his voice is quite weak. His skin look quite grey too.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Love

FI

x

[jsteine1]

You should call a Hospice asap. they will call your dads doc for orders and take it from there.He is likely eligible for the service now. They will Provide equip, ie shower chair ,hospital bed if that would make it easier for him, as much pain med as it takes for him to be comfortable all the time. They can provide Nursing visits to assess the effectiveness of his pain control 2 or three times a week as well as an Aide to assist him with bathing,dressing. You didnt mention if he lives alone or not, but if he does,or lives with family that are working all day, the hospice Social worker can arrange for him to get meals on wheels so he wont have to try to shop or cook. Most have an arrangement with a pharmacy so that his meds will be delivered to his house. Hospice is a much more comprehensive service that what I have mentioned here, and supports the entire family as a unit during a difficult time. Please call a hospice today, your Dad will be able to remain at home and as comfortable as possible. Best of luck to you all.

[babynurselsa, RN]

Is there hospice service available to him? They can be invaluable in symptom control and relief. Is he on supplemental o2? The voice weakening and eventual total loss of voice is a probable progression of his disease process, unfortuanately.

Talk with his physician if hospice is not available about concerns regarding pain control and any other issues.

If you do not have hospice then try t owork closely with his physician with any problems and concerns that you have.

Some of the signs that you ar egoing to see closer to the end of life wil be:

increasing weakness, he is probably at a point not going to have the strenghth tp get about the house.

decreasing appetite, as the system begins to wind down.

With his dx of throuat cancer swallowing is going to be a problem if it is not already. If He desires to eat look at meal replacement shakes soft foods like soups, mashed potatoes. If he likes the shakes you can also blend them with some icecream to increase calories and nutrients.

Towards the end his LOC will also decrease. He will become less responsive to his enviroment.

If swallowing is an issue get his meds as liquids rather than pills. I would also investigate stopping meds that are not absolutely needed.

Feel free to pm me if you have more questions.

If he does not want to eat do not force him to do so you will only increase his discomfort.

If he is on high levels of pain meds constipation is an issue. Make sure he is on a stool softener.

I hope this helps