Home Based Palliative Care
The Program CanSupport Home Based Palliative Care Program is a pioneering model directed at patients suffering from advanced and terminal cancer. It is the largest of its kind in the country and has been replicated in various states in collaboration with State Governments.
The Model has also earned CanSupport the World Health Organization Public Champion Award in 2017 among many others honours. The program makes the most practical and economic sense, especially for the underprivileged, saving huge sums otherwise spent in pursuit of unrealistic goals and unnecessary critical care costs.
Its goals are extremely concrete: skilled pain and symptom management, supportive nursing care, psychological and spiritual care and a support system to sustain the individual’s family as well as bereavement support and counselling.
Professional multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, counsellors and physiotherapists regularly visit patients registered with them in their homes, offering:
- Factual Information to demystify patient’s illness and its like course in clear and understandable terms for informed decision making around goals of care.
- Pain and symptom management aimed at maximising comfort and quality of life.
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation in optimising functioning ability, maintaining or regaining physical independence and preserve the patient’s autonomy.
- Comprehensive nursing care.
- Guidance and equipment support to achieve control and dignity in day-to-day activities.
- Empower and equip family caregivers in caring for their loved ones effectively at home.
- Psychological, emotional and spiritual support for both patients and families.
- Loss, Grief and bereavement counselling.
- Mobilising financial and practical resources through networking with government and civil society organisations
- Socio-economic rehabilitative support for destitute families
Bereavement Counselling
Often, people who have experienced the death of someone who was very important in their lives, find it very difficult to adjust to the immense life changes that occur with bereavement. Grief can shake everything up – one’s beliefs, your personality, and even the sense of reality.
Bereavement is the time one spends adjusting to loss. There is no standard time limit and there is no right or wrong way to feel during the bereavement period – everyone must learn to cope in their own way. Grief, although normal, can manifest in a huge range of unexpected ways. Some people get angry, some people withdraw further into themselves and some people become completely numb. Sometimes, grief can turn into something more serious – like depression.
Talking about the loss often allows a person to adjust to their new life and eventually find acceptance. Bereavement counselling may be able to provide support during these very difficult times.
Rashmi had become anxious and depressed and sought help after her husband passed away. A conversation with the counselor revealed that she had been the only caregiver for her husband who had been ill for years and required near full-time assistance. She was the only one earning in the family. She realized she had never had the time or emotional energy to mourn her husband’s death that had just occurred within the past month, and for which Rashmi felt terribly guilty.
This conversation allowed her to face the great feelings of sadness and loss she was experiencing and slowly dissolved her anxiety. After a time of rest which allowed her to fully grieve, Rashmi could return to work. With the constant support of a counselor at CanSupport and a close friend, she found the strength to rebuild her life.
The unique approach and impact of the Home Care Program led to CanSupport receiving the prestigious ‘Public Health Champion’ award conferred by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017.
Factual Information about patient’s illness in clear and understandable terms for making informed decision
Comprehensive nursing care and provision of necessary medical equipment to help with daily activities of living.
For maintaining or regaining physical independence and preserve the patient’s autonomy.
Socio-economic rehabilitative support for destitute families.
Psychological, emotional and spiritual support for both patients and families
Bereavement counselling providing assistance to work through feelings of loss or grief.
Impact
Home Based Palliative Care (2024-25)
6,174
Patients served
18,500
Family caregivers served
46,881
Home visits
2,987
Concurrent patients
38,398
Consultations over phone/video calls outside working hours
2,340
Bereavement visits were made
1,070
Destitute patients/families received rehabilitative support
Our Reach
Providing Free of Charge Palliative Care Programs across 7 States in India
Delhi
All 11 Districts
- 13 Home Care Teams
- 4 Outpatient Clinics
- 1 Mobile Clinic
- 2 Day Care Centres
Haryana
6 Districts
- Gurugram
- Faridabad
- Rohtak
- Sonipat
- Jind
- Jhajjar
- 8 Home Care Teams
Punjab
4 Districts
- Amritsar
- Bathinda
- Mansa
- Patiala
- 6 Home Care Teams
- 2 Outpatient Clinics
Uttar Pradesh
3 Districts
- Noida
- Ghaziabad
- Meerut
- 5 Home Care Teams
Jharkhand
1 District
- Jamshedpur
- 1 Home Care Team
- 1 Outpatient Clinic
Himachal Pradesh
1 District
- Shimla
- 1 Home Care Team
Maharashtra | Pune
4 Districts
- Kalyani Nagar
- Warje
- Khed
- Bhor/Purender
- 9 Homecare Teams
- 1 Outpatient Clinic