At Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), expert oncologists and clinical staff provide a host of state-of-the-art cancer treatments, as well as integrative services such as palliative care. No matter the diagnosis, patients can find compassionate assistance in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and the Washington, D.C., area at Regional Cancer Care Associates’ numerous locations.
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. It focuses on treating the symptoms of the illness, relieving the side effects of therapies, and providing comfort. Battling cancer can mean dealing with many challenging symptoms and related conditions, including those caused by the cancer itself and others resulting from radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments. This is where palliative care can make a significant difference in patients’ lives. This form of support aims to enhance the quality of life for patients who:
The goal of palliative care is to enhance the patient experience for those who require an additional level of care. The 3 Cs of palliation indicate the various ways this service assists patients. They include:
Palliative care uses a holistic approach, based on the comprehensive health needs and concerns of a patient rather than simply focusing on treating the patient’s disease. The main goals of palliative care are to:
Typically, palliative care is administered by multidisciplinary teams. A patient’s palliative care team may include:
Palliative care may employ some of the same therapies used to treat the underlying disease, such as when chemotherapy or radiation therapy are administered not in pursuit of a cure but rather to reduce the size of a tumor that is causing significant pain, Palliative care also can use physical therapy, medication, and many other modalities. Regardless, all palliative care services are administered under the direction of qualified, licensed providers. Depending on the patient’s specific needs, palliative care services might be administered in the following ways:
Palliative services are offered to patients who need quality-of-life care. It can help patients suffering from several conditions and diseases:
A patient with cancer may receive palliative care at any point, from the initial diagnosis to the end of life. Palliative care may be given alongside other cancer treatments. At Regional Cancer Care Associates, patients with the following cancer types have access to palliative care:
Patients with non-cancerous blood disorders and other chronic conditions can receive palliative care to manage and treat their symptoms, prevent or address treatment side effects, and improve their quality of life.
For patients with end-stage organ failure, ensuring comfort and quality of life are top priorities for Regional Cancer Care Associates physicians.
By facilitating open and honest conversations, Regional Cancer Care Associates clinicians walk patients through every step in the process, including advance directives and shared decision-making. To devise a personalized palliative care plan, the care team will analyze the patient’s need for services such as:
After a pain assessment, pharmacological interventions for pain relief may be prescribed. Patients also may benefit from complementary and alternative therapies. Along the way, the care team monitors patients’ symptoms so treatments can be tailored to a person’s current needs.
Regional Cancer Care Associates provides support for addressing mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. Grief and bereavement support also is available for those who have lost loved ones to cancer.
Palliative caregivers, well-versed in cultural competence, are trained to maintain dignity and autonomy during provision of all services.
Palliative care can be just as beneficial to caregivers as it is to their patients. Caregivers carry an immeasurable burden, and Regional Cancer Care Associates is here to support them. Caretakers can call on the palliative care team when they need assistance with the following:
Palliative care makes a difference in the lives of countless individuals each year in the United States, and it is a crucial component of patient-centered healthcare. Serving patients in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and the Washington, D.C., area, Regional Cancer Care Associates is standing by to provide compassionate palliative care and other treatments to patients battling cancer, blood disorders, and other conditions. For more information about expert cancer care, contact Regional Cancer Care Associates at any of our more than 20 locations today.
Cancer can influence almost every aspect of your life. At RCCA, our palliative care specialists help to improve quality of life for every cancer patient, so they may wake up every morning feeling comfortable and, most importantly, happy. Contact RCCA at (844) 346-7222 to learn more about our palliative care services.
Regional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.