Supportive Care Options is about allowing a person to retain their dignity, and maintaining or improving quality of life for sufferers of asbestos related disease, whilst at the same time allowing their loved ones to also have a quality of life during all stages of the disease. It is not only about working out what care the sufferer needs, but most importantly, what he or she may want, or is prepared to accept. It is then about looking at what treatment, support and care options are available, and then putting in place strategies to help sufferers and their loved ones navigate the journey ahead in the best possible way to suit their needs and/or wants. Really, it is all about helping a sufferer and their loved ones live the journey without regret.
Supportive Care Options should be discussed with your GP, treating specialist, hospital social worker, or other relevant caregiving personnel as soon as possible after diagnosis. Discussing Supportive Care Options should make all the difference in helping answer the multitude of questions you may have, and being able to help you navigate the often difficult journey that lay ahead for all concerned.
You should also talk immediately with a specialist asbestos dust litigator regarding possible compensation.
As part of Supportive Care Options they should be able to talk about treatments, legal help, icare Dust Diseases Care, clinical trials, pain control and the importance of joining palliative care networks early (even if they are not used, or have a need to be used) and much more. Importantly, they should be able to help sufferers and their carers plan a path forward, and help them have no regrets. Hopefully they can offer information about all, or some of the following:
- Medical specialists;
- The latest treatments and clinical trials;
- Asbestos dust litigation specialists (legal help) information, referral and patient advocacy;
- icare Dust Diseases Care (also known as the Dust Diseases Authority) information, referral and patient advocacy;
- Local Support Groups (if available);
- Disability Parking Permits; and
- Palliative/hospice Care Services etc.
When talking about care, many people initially think of palliative care, which to many only conjures up images of somebody being cared for when they are near death, and hence something they shy away from discussing or being involved in. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth, palliative care encompasses much more than just end of life care (e.g. specialist pain relief), and is an important part of overall supportive care that should be embraced from the beginning of the diagnosed journey – but it is only one part, or facet, of Supportive Care Options.
“Being a part of our local palliative care network, from a relative early stage of my late wife Julie’s journey surviving with both peritoneal and separate pleural mesothelioma, allowed me to look after Julie at home for her entire three year plus journey. Between Julie and I, and nurses (along with care aids/equipment) provided by our local palliative care/hospice network, we were able to maintain Julie a quality of life, and control her pain throughout her entire mesothelioma journey. Without the help and support provided by our local palliative care network I would never have been able to envisage doing this, let alone actually doing it.”
– Rod Smith (former) Bernie Banton Foundation MARSupport Co-ordinator
Supportive Care Options should be discussed as soon as possible after diagnosis with your treating physician, hospital social worker or other care providers. You should also talk immediately with a specialist asbestos dust litigator regarding possible compensation.
Please don’t hesitate to find out more about the entire spectrum that Supportive Care Options encompasses, and how it can assist you to have a journey without regrets.