Cancer Care Association to set up hospices islandwide:

Providing psychological therapies

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Thinking about and planning for the end-of-life can be a difficult time for terminally ill Cancer patients and their families. Each person will have unique needs and will cope in different ways. Caring for a dying loved one isn’t easy. Even when you know the end of life is approaching, you might not feel prepared. Understanding what to expect and what you can do to increase your loved one’s comfort can help.

Much worse is the sad phenomenon of the sick people affected with cancer and who are terminally ill left at homes without any remedy for relief from the pains they endure. There are numerous cases of sick people affected with cancer abandoned by their near and dear ones who are unable to do anything for their treatment, who are terminally ill and medically have no hope of recovery. Also even if the family is capable and willing they face numerous issues when taking care of their loved ones in their final days.

Taking care of a terminally ill cancer patient could be both a financial and emotional drain for family members. Those who cannot afford expensive care during the final days are at times left to die in pain. Even those who can afford face numerous emotional and physical issues (both the patients and the family).

Final days

In a recent case when a team of medical officers visited a home of a terminally ill patient, his home was found to be in such a state that one medic described it as a windowless stable. Since two years of treatment had failed he was spending his final days in agony. He and his widowed mother (who was very old) had no proper income. His body was covered in bedsores, risking blood poisoning when the medics intervened and put him in the care of a hospice.

There are many such cases in record and in others irrespective of being rich or poor, terminally ill cancer patients and their families suffer. In such cases all should understand that the dying too, need to plan - to think ahead in order to fashion, out of the time remaining, the best of what is possible.

In Sri Lanka 4,000 people a year die of cancer. Another 18,000 new cases are diagnosed a year. Six thousand of those diagnosed will die within a year of being told they have cancer. One in every 10 deaths in Sri Lanka is caused by cancer. According to Dr Samadhi Rajapaksa at National Cancer Hospital, Maharagama, the Governments do its utmost to take care of cancer patients. The Government provides medical care free of charge to patients through its network of hospitals.

According to Dr Rajapaksa free medical treatment in Sri Lanka when described in other countries raises eyebrows. They are surprised and thoroughly impressed, say the doctor.

However, according to him taking care of the terminally ill cancer patients is something that the Government alone cannot handle. Most of these patients need specific emotional and physical care which the hospitals alone cannot provide.

To fill this vacuum and help the terminally ill during their final days the Cancer Care Association (CCA) expects to set up hospices in all districts of the country. The CCA is an organization founded by Dr Samadhi W Rajapaksa and Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dr Upul Ekanayake with a compassionate motive and dedication to ensure physical and mental well-being of those who are affected from this often fatal condition.

Dr Rajapaksa says “Our aim is not profit-making but the service of the humanity, especially the poor and the needy. Our aim is to reach out to terminally ill cancer patients and to make their final days as comfortable as possible. We aim at serving as many people as possible. By establishing hospices we would be at the service of the poor and suffering cancer patients”.

The first of these hospices established in Anuradhapura is already near completion. The second one is slated to come up at Karapitiya, Galle soon.

According to Dr Rajapaksa for patients and family members of those who are ill, hospice can be an essential part of a patient’s final stages of life. It provides help with financial burdens as well as the inevitable mental and emotional stresses that come into play when facing the final days. Hospice puts the patient first which not only helps the patient, but the family who is dealing with losing them.

Hospice care

Generally, hospice is care given to a patient who is in their final stages of life, with emphasis on caring for that person to make their remaining days as comfortable for them as possible. With hospice, there is no work on finding a cure to a person’s illness, but rather comforting them in their final moments. Hospice care is generally available to those patients usually no longer responds to any treatment, so hospice helps to care for a person when medicine is no longer effective.

Benefits of hospice care

While the need for hospice can be difficult for a patient or their family members to accept, it is important to remember that hospice is there to help. Its emphasis is on the quality of the patient’s life that matters most. Thus, hospice care is dedicated to provide as much comfort as possible to a patient in the final stage of their illness.

In addition it provides education to family members on how better to care for their loved ones and hospice also offers support for the family who faces eminent loss. Hospice understands the toll that caring for a patient 24 hours a day has on a family and so hospice care can relieve family for a time for much needed rest. For the patient, hospice provides emotional and psychological therapies to them to help accept their illness and issues with dying. Hospice also provides for pain management and any medical prescriptions or supplies the patient might need.

Respecting patient’s wishes

Many people with terminal illnesses are more comfortable in spending their final days at home. Hospice care understands this need and family members too play their part in helping their loved ones. It is extremely beneficial for a patient’s family to be around them and so family is always considered in hospice care. For patients without family, hospice care facilities are essential to ensuring care and comfort to the patient during their illness.

Who oversees the care at Hospice Centres?

Hospice workers are always medical professionals such as doctors, nurses and trained volunteers. Many times a patient’s hospice team will also include psychologists and members of the clergy.

Who pays the cost of Hospice care?

While anyone considering hospice care can understand the need for it, there is the issue of how. In the case of hospices established by the CAA no payment has to be made.

They are run with donations provided by people and organizations. In this regard you too can contribute either by providing donations or by volunteering to help the needy. How you can lend assistance is mentioned below.

How can a patient obtain CCA hospice care?

The patients have to obtain a letter from their physicians and or hospital regarding the situation of their medical condition. They would be admitted to the hospice under the directions of relevant Government hospitals or doctors.

The CCA

Since its inception in 2003 the CCA has been committed to patient care by not only supporting them with everyday financial and medical needs to cope with this painful situation but also to mentally overcome various problems related to their illness. Returning to normal life is a challenge to an oncology patient as well as their families, occasionally held religious events as well as meditation programs specially organized by Dr Samadhi Rajapaksa provides ongoing support for patients to overcome their fears and strengthening them spiritually to face consequences, assuring a less devastating as well as peaceful ending to the story.

CCA mainly carry out its projects at the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama Sri Lanka where most of the patients are being sent for treatment from various parts of the country. It is also engaged in cancer research. Apart from this various educational and religious programs as well as funding for expensive drugs are being handled by CCA.

This association is a government of Sri Lanka registered charity composed entirely of volunteers. Unique to non-profits the CCA has no paid staff and has no offices. All operating expenses are covered by generous donations and membership dues. Cancer Care Association now has many devoted members here in Sri Lanka and abroad who share the vision and commitment of Dr Samadhi’s effort to relieve the burden of cancer.

It’s worth helping

Running a network of Hospices Islandwide is no easy task. So you could also help to ensure the final days of these patients remain as comfortable as possible. The next cancer victim might be you or one of your loved ones. Your contribution could give hope and comfort to people who had none before.

For any information on CCA you could contact National Cancer Institute Director. Your donations and support are vital for the success of this worth endeavour.

Interested persons can directly contact the Cancer Care Association on 0113155229 or 0773409787, 56, Munasinghe Mawatha, Galawilawatte, Homagama, Sri Lanka, [email protected].

For further information

http://ccasrilanka.blogspot.com