Home chemotherapy experience of an elderly male gastric cancer patient

This article presents the author's experience providing nursing care to an unaccompanied elderly male patient with gastric cancer who was undergoing initial home chemotherapy. Nursing care problems identified included "anticipation anxiety", "inability to care properly for wound", and "deficits in knowledge and skills necessary for successful home chemotherapy." A therapeutic relationship between the author and patient was established during home chemotherapy from December 6, 2006 to January 31, 2007. Health education and nursing interventions were provided through pamphlet-based and verbal instructions, reverse demonstration to offer timely emotional support, disease information, and self-care strategies. Aims of care included enhancing patient chemotherapy knowledge, increasing self-care ability skills, and improving patient confidence in being able to control successfully his cancer and chemotherapy regimen. After 12 author-mentored home chemotherapy sessions were completed, patient quality of life was maintained. Hopefully, this case report can provide an illustrative experience with home chemotherapy that will help healthcare nurses improve their approach to health education and home care for cancer patients.