What is a Lung Cancer Survivorship Plan?

If your elderly parent has recently finished their lung cancer treatment, or is approaching the end of their lung cancer treatment, it is likely you have heard their doctor talk about a survivorship plan. This can be a very important part of their life after treatment, and as a family caregiver, you will play a critical role in helping them to develop it, as well as to carry it through.

Each element of a survivorship plan is designed to maximize the benefits of treatment, improve your parents health, maintain health, and help your parents make the most of their future years.  

As with other elements of your parent's experience with cancer, including their treatment, care, and management efforts, a survivorship plan will be a very personal to them. This survivorship plan is developed specifically to help your parent with their own individual health needs.

These care plans generally feature several elements, which can include: 

* A schedule for follow-up visit  

* A schedule for follow-up exams and tests, including early detection screenings 

* A schedule for follow-up evaluations to determine long-term effects of treatments your parents underwent, or the cancer itself 

* The side affects your senior might experience, and which ones you should look out for  

* Guidelines for how to effectively manage side effects, and when they warrant a visit to the doctor 

* Instructions for good lifestyle choices, such as dietary guidelines, exercise, germ control, and more that will help keep your parent healthier.  

Once your parent has a lung cancer survivorship plan in place, you can use it to create your care approach. Including elderly care in this phase as you did during treatment can continue to help your parent pursue a healthier, more satisfying, and more meaningful quality of life as they age in place.   

In your role as a family caregiver, you will need to use a wide variety of tools and resources to fulfill your parent's needs. One of the most important resources you can use is elderly care. Due to the completely customizable nature of elderly care, you can utilize this resource to fill whatever care gaps might exist in the care routine you already give your parent.

Whether your schedule is busy and you are unable to be with your parents as frequently as he would like to be, you have limitations that keep you from managing certain tasks, or you simply feel your parent would benefit from more diversified care, an elderly home care services provider can step in to manage these needs effectively and efficiently. As a family caregiver, this can give you peace of mind knowing your senior is able to live the highest quality of life both when you are caring for them directly, and when you are not.  

Sources:  https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/after-treatment/survivorship.html 

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Chicago IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.
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