AtmaNirbhar is a patient advocacy and navigator for elderly patients with cancer to provide them with latest information on cancer treatment options, to make them take an informed decision that lets the elderly patient maintain their quality of life by choosing the most appropriate therapy for oneself, and feel confident in discussing their goals with treating oncologist.
The Approach empowers patient and their caregivers to deal with cancers, which along with old age and multiple diseases, make decision making extremely complex and difficult in elderly cancer patients ( also known as “Geriatric Oncology“).
- Patient Factors: using Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment to determine frailty (severity of aging), chronic disease burden, ability to bear major treatments, age related approximate life expectancy left, and physical-mental-nutritional status.
- Caregiver Factors: caregiver burden and distress, financial risks, and caregiver counselling.
- Cancer Related Factors: Stage of cancer, surgical operability, latest chemotherapy options, age appropriate dosage-choice of chemo discussion, expected survival, expected side effects and their prevention, and realistic benefits of newer treatment options.
- Priorities and Preferences: after confirming that patient has a good decision making capacity, detailed assessment of patient and caregiver preferences and step-by-step handholding in final decision making to start the treatment of cancer with confidence, and based on treatment, dealing with changing priorities.
- Ongoing Supportive Care: a team of geriatric medicine physician, dietician , physiotherapist and psychologist/counsellor are always available to make the suffering little easier, and be available for any needed support as cancer journey continues.
Based on the Comprehensive Checkup, and using evidence based Prediction Tools, the physician generates a detailed personalised report of the elderly patient’s current health status, procedure success, procedure risks, and benefit of different treatment options on both quality of life and survival. This will help the patient and family to make their own confident informed decision to choose what’s best for the elderly patient, without fearing “what super-specialist thinks is best“, and preventing complications of unnecessary “latest expensive treatment” which in elderly patients could be more harmful than beneficial. Always remember, elderly patient and family has a Right To Choose Their Treatment, based on all the available information that best suits elderly patient’s body.
Visit this Link (GeriAssess) for a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Report.
Visit our AtmaNirbhar (Geriatric Oncology) website which gives a complete guide to help manage older patient with cancer.