If something worries the nurse
They raise it with a palliative care specialist straight away, and the team follows it until a specialist has responded. Sending a message is not the end of it: someone has to act on it.
For patients and families
Care at home, with a team behind you
If you or someone you love is living with cancer, AnidasoCare can help you stay comfortable at home. Here is how it works.
Getting care
Ask your hospital team to refer you
Patients come to AnidasoCare through a referral from their hospital. If you think home palliative care could help, ask your oncologist, doctor or nurse at the hospital to refer you to AnidasoCare.
A palliative care specialist reviews every referral. If home care is right for you, we contact you or your family to explain what happens next.
If your hospital does not work with AnidasoCare yet, contact us and we will tell you what is possible.
Home visits
What happens when the nurse visits
Your nurse visits on the days agreed in your care plan. Visits are calm and unhurried, and family members are welcome to take part. At each visit the nurse:
- Asks how you are feeling and checks pain, breathlessness, sleep, appetite and other symptoms
- Checks how your medicines are working and whether you have enough
- Carries out the tasks in your care plan
- Asks how the family is coping and shows caregivers what to look out for
- Writes a report after the visit for the palliative care specialist to review
When plans change
If the patient goes into hospital, or a visit cannot happen, tell us. The nurse records it and the specialist is told.
Your choices
Nothing happens without your agreement
Before care begins, we explain each of these and ask you to decide. You can change your mind at any time, and we record every decision.
Receiving AnidasoCare services
Home visits by our nurses and specialists. We need this before care begins.
Sharing your progress with your hospital
Your hospital team hears that you are in our care, and how your care ends.
Sharing visit activity with your hospital
Your hospital team also sees how many visits you have had and when, but not your symptoms, findings or notes.
Sharing clinical updates with your cancer doctor
The doctor who referred you can read your care plan, our specialists’ assessments and the nurses’ visit reports, and is told if there is an urgent concern. Never payments, or family, emotional or spiritual notes.
Text messages
Messages about your care by SMS. They never include your name or medical details.
Only the people caring for you can see your records, and every time someone opens them it is logged. How we look after your information
Questions
Common questions from families
Does palliative care mean stopping treatment?
No. Palliative care can be given alongside treatment from your hospital. Its aim is to keep you as comfortable as possible, whatever stage your illness is at.
Is palliative care only for the last days of life?
No. It can help from the time of diagnosis onwards, whenever pain, other symptoms or worries are making life harder.
Can I still see my hospital doctor?
Yes. Your hospital team stays involved. We work with them, and with your permission we keep them informed about your care at home.
Do you have a nurse near me?
Each of our nurses works in particular districts so that they can reach patients easily. Contact us and we will tell you whether we can visit your area.
What does it cost?
It depends on the care you need. We explain the costs and how to pay before care begins, and you receive a receipt for every payment.
Who can give consent if the patient cannot decide?
If the patient is not able to decide for themselves, a family member or caregiver who is involved in their care can give consent on their behalf. We record who gave it and why.
What should I do in an emergency?
Call 112 (National Emergency) or 193 (Ambulance), or go to the nearest hospital emergency unit. AnidasoCare is not an emergency service.
Talk to us about care at home
Questions about home palliative care, referrals or working with us? We will explain how it works and what to expect.