Palliative care for elderly patients with advanced cancer: a long-term intervention for end-of-life care.
OBJECTIVE
This essay identifies elderly cancer patients as a population that experiences cancer-related health disparities at the end-of-life.


METHODS
While hospice and palliative care (PC) are care options for this population, it is argued that PC prior to hospice will yield numerous benefits for long-term end-of-life care.


RESULTS
It is theorized that PC prior to hospice will be beneficial in meeting the family's needs in a timely and adequate manner, improving quality of life, increasing caregiver satisfaction and communication, possibly delay institutionalization of the patient, and may ultimately impact bereavement.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients would be able to benefit from PC in an early stage of their disease, positively influencing older cancer patients and families.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term assessment of the impact of PC prior to hospice is proposed as a promising direction of future research.
Wittenberg-Lyles
Elaine M
EM
Department of Communication Studies, University of North Texas, PO Box 305268, Denton, TX 76203-5268, United States. lyles@unt.edu
Sanchez-Reilly
Sandra
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001601:Bereavement; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018579:Patient Selection; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations