Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:53:06.716Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Improving quality of life through rehabilitation in palliative care: Case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2010

Nicole Kasven-Gonzalez ,
Regine Souverain  and
Susan Miale
Nicole Kasven-Gonzalez*
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation Medicine Service, Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Regine Souverain
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation Medicine Service, Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Susan Miale
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation Medicine Service, Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Nicole Kasven-Gonzalez, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Room H-108, New York, NY 10065. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

Occupational and physical therapists can have a significant impact on the quality of life of terminally ill cancer patients. In the critical care setting, rehabilitation is often overlooked. However, occupational and physical therapists work with critically-ill patients to create realistic and meaningful goals for improving comfort, mobility, socialization skills, and ability to care for oneself regardless of disease state and medical status. The following case report describes rehabilitation intervention with a young woman diagnosed with osteosarcoma and leukemia during the final stage of her life.

Method:

This case report highlights the use of patient-centered goals and the importance of close collaboration between the patient, occupational therapist, and physical therapists to achieve a higher quality of life.

Results:

A collaborative effort by the occupational and physical therapists yielded positive outcomes as defined by the patient, patient family, and the medical staff in the critical care setting.

Significance of results:

Palliative care patients may benefit from occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) intervention. Rehabilitation specialists are skilled at working with patients to set realistic and meaningful functional goals. Further study on rehabilitation treatment to improve quality of life among patients in palliative care is needed.

Keywords

RehabilitationQuality of lifeCancerPalliative careGoals
Type
Case Reports
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 359 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

American Cancer Society. (2009). Detailed guide: Leukemia-Acute Myeloid. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_3x.asp?dt=82.Google Scholar
Dahlin, Y. (2009). Patients' experiences of physical therapy within palliative cancer care. Journal of Palliative Care, 25, 12–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elmqvist, M.A., Jordhoy, M.S., Bjordal, K., et al. (2009). Health-related quality of life during the last three months of life in patients with advanced cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 17, 191–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gerber, L.H., Hoffman, K., Chaudhry, U., et al. (2006). Functional outcomes and life satisfaction in long-term survivors of pediatric sarcomas. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87, 1611–1617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gurney, J.G., Swensen, A.R. & Bulterys, M. (1999). Malignant bone tumors. In Cancer Incidence and Survival among Children and Adolescents: United States SEER Program 1975–1995, Ries, L. A., Smith, M.A., Gurney, J.G., et al. (eds.), pp. 99–110. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute, SEER Program.Google Scholar
Hinds, P.S., Drew, D., Oakes, L.L., et al. (2005). End-of-life care preferences of pediatric patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23, 9146–9154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hogan-Kelley, D. (2005). Occupational therapy frames of reference for treatment in the ICU. OT Practice, 10, 15–18.Google Scholar
Inskip, P.D., Ries, L.A.G., Cohen, R.J., et al. (2006). New malignancies following childhood cancer. In New Malignancies Among Cancer Survivors: SEER Cancer Registries, 1973–2000, Curtis, R.E., Freedman, D.M., Ron, E., (eds.), pp. 465–482. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute.Google Scholar
Jalmsell, L., Kreicbergs, U., Onelov, E., et al. (2006). Symptoms affecting children with malignancies during the last month of life: A nationwide follow-up. Pediatrics, 117, 1314–1320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jordhoy, M.S., Fayers, P., Loge, J.K., et al. (2001). Quality of life in advanced cancer patients: The impact of sociodemographic and medical characteristics. British Journal of Cancer, 85, 1478–1485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Julkunen, J., Gustavsson-Lilius, M. & Hietanen, P. (2009). Anger expression, partner support, and quality of life in cancer patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 66, 235–244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kielhofner, G. & Barrett, L. (1998). Theories derived from occupational behavior perspective. In Willard and Spackman's Occupational Therapy (9th ed.), Neistadt, M.E., Blesedell Crepeau, E. (eds.). pp. 527–529. New York: Lippincott-Raven Publications.Google Scholar
Lewis, D.R. & Gloeckler Ries, L.A. (2007). Cancers of the bone and Joint. In SEER Survival Monograph: Cancer Survival Among Adults: U.S. SEER Program, 1988–2001, Ries, L. A., Young, J.L., Keel, G.E. (ed.), pp. 81–88. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute, SEER Program.Google Scholar
Lowe, S.S., Watanabe, S.M. & Courneya, K.S. (2009). Physical activity as a supportive care intervention in palliative cancer patients: A systematic review. Journal of Supportive Oncology, 7, 27–34.Google ScholarPubMed
National Cancer Instititute. (2009). Childhood Cancers: Questions and Answers. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/childhood.Google Scholar
National Cancer Institute. (2009). Osteosarcoma and Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of Bone (PDQ®). http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/osteosarcoma/healthprofessional.Google Scholar
Pakos, E.E., Nearchou, A.D., Grimer, R.J., et al. (2009). Prognostic factors and outcomes for osteosarcoma: An international collaboration. European Journal of Cancer, 45, 2367–2375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schleinich, M.A., Warren, S., Nekolaichuk, C., et al. (2008). Palliative care rehabilitation survey: A pilot study of patients' priorities for rehabilitation goals. Palliative Medicine, 22, 822–830.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, M.A., Gloeckler Ries, L.A., Gurney, J.G., et al. (1999). Leukemia ICCC I. In Cancer Incidence and Survival among Children and Adolescents: United States SEER Program 1975–1995, Ries, L.A., Smith, M.A., Gurney, J.G., et al. (eds.), pp. 17–34. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute, SEER Program.Google Scholar
World Health Organization. (2009). WHO Definition of Palliative Care. http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/.Google Scholar