When travel is a significant part of your lifestyle, keeping in touch with loved ones becomes especially important. Because you don’t see them often, you treasure every phone call, video chat, letter, card, gift, and in-person visit. It brings you closer to home and helps keep the family bond intact. However, hearing that your loved one from NYC has cancer is news that can rock your entire world.
While your initial response may be to pack your things and get to New York, it’s not always that simple. You probably have a job, house, significant other, and children to consider. Though being there for your loved one may be the ultimate goal, it will take time to plan and relocate. In the meantime, it’s essential to start looking into the best cancer home care resources.
Cancer Care in NYC
What’s great about NYC is that there are multiple cancer hospitals in the area with some of the nation’s best oncologists, medical experts, laboratories, and treatment centers. Therefore, you shouldn’t have difficulty finding quality in-home care for your loved one.
Why In-Home Care?
Why not have your long-distance relative stay with you? Why not look into facilities that care for cancer patients onsite? While these may be options someone should consider, ideally, you want your relative to be comfortable as they get through this emotionally and physically challenging time.
Uprooting them from where they’re most comfortable can cause emotional harm, impacting their recovery efforts. It’s also worth noting that relocating someone with cancer can be complicated as you’ll need to find new doctors, ensure you have the space to accommodate them, and more.
Essentially, cancer home care allows your loved one to remain in their residence while getting treatment and support from trained professionals. It saves a lot of time and money, and reduces the emotional impact.
Selecting The Right Home Care Provider
When entrusting the health, safety, and well-being of your sick relative to someone, you must do your due diligence. Below are some suggestions on how to make the best choice.
Get Referrals
Ask family members, friends, co-workers, religious leaders, and doctors for referrals to some ideal home care services in NYC. Since they know you and your relative, they have your best interest at heart and will provide the most qualified suggestions. If no one has recommendations, you can contact the state of New York’s Department of Health and Human Services for a list of reputable home care service providers. Finally, an online search can also provide suggestions. Ideally, you want to evaluate at least three to five agencies to ensure you make the most informed decision.
Provider Reputation
Whichever provider you choose, you want them to have a positive reputation in their industry and community. Evaluating their state licensing, accreditation, and medicare certification are essential. You can also analyze reviews from patients and their families for a more personalized perspective.
Services Offered
Next, you want to review the provider websites to see their services for cancer patients and their families. As you go over the services, think about your needs and preferences. For example, do you need someone full-time or part-time? What type of assistance will your relative need?
Admissions Process
Every provider will have a different process for new patients. You’ll want to learn more about what is required. Will your relative need a primary caregiver on record? Is there an initial deposit or fee? Will there be an in-person visit before assigning a home care professional? What types of insurance do they take? Will you have any out-of-pocket expenses? If so, what is the estimated cost?
Initial Evaluation And Care Plan
Most home care agencies will have a case manager, social worker, or nurse visit your relative to evaluate their needs and provide more insight into their services. You should inquire about the requirements for the evaluation. For instance, do you need to be there during the initial visit? Would they agree to a video meeting if you can’t attend in person? Do they need any paperwork from your loved one’s doctors and specialists?
After the evaluation, the home care agency will have a registered nurse review the information to develop a care plan for your relative. Ensure you’ve provided your input to ensure your loved one gets what they need. You should also request a copy of the plan to review, approve, or ask questions.
The Selection
After going through the steps listed above, you should better understand which home care agency best suits you and your relative. You can then select based on affordability, convenience, or personal preference. The final step is to start making adjustments in your life so you can move to New York to be with your relative during their time of need.
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