Making Mesothelioma End-of-Life Choices
Mesothelioma patients must make important medical, legal, and financial decisions as they near the end of their lives.
While there’s no way to guarantee how long you’ll live with mesothelioma, making end-of-life decisions beforehand will help ensure your wishes are fulfilled.
End-of-life decisions for mesothelioma may include:
- Accessing palliative care or hospice care for pain relief
- Determining a power of attorney
- Requesting a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order
- Updating your will
Coming up with an end-of-life plan also takes stress off your family, as they won’t have to make tough decisions on your behalf.
Making plans for a potential death from mesothelioma can be stressful, but we’re here to offer you hope and support in this difficult time.
Mesothelioma Hope can help you explore medical treatments, financial assistance, and supportive care options to better navigate the end stages of this cancer. Get our Free Mesothelioma Guide now to learn more.
Mesothelioma End-of-Life Medical Care
End-of-life care for mesothelioma focuses on making the last phase of your cancer journey as pain-free as possible. It’s also known as late-stage mesothelioma care and may involve adjusting your treatment plan and care setting.
Learn about the types of mesothelioma end-of-life care below.
Palliative Care
Palliative care for mesothelioma focuses on easing cancer symptoms and side effects of treatment. At the end of life, palliative care is often the main treatment you’ll receive.
Types of mesothelioma palliative care options include:
- Diet changes to help boost nutrition and reduce discomfort
- Medications to manage pain, nausea, and other symptoms
- Surgeries like thoracentesis or paracentesis to drain fluid buildup
“We have palliative integrative care working with our patients because trying to maintain as much of their normal life as possible is very important.”
Oncologists (cancer doctors) can determine which palliative care options will be best near a patient’s end of life with mesothelioma.
In-Home Care
With home care for mesothelioma, you can get the medical support you need without going to a hospital or hospice facility.
A home health aide or nurse can:
- Assist with daily living tasks like dressing or bathing
- Help caregivers like family get a break
- Make sure you get pain-relieving care
Hospice Care
A hospice facility is specifically designed to help patients at the end of life. Mesothelioma hospice care allows patients to get round-the-clock pain relief from trained professionals.
Hospice care also takes the pressure off a mesothelioma patient’s family members who may have been providing care. Patients can get either in-home hospice care or go to an inpatient facility.
Mental Health Care
When approaching the end of life, you and your loved ones may experience grief, sadness, anxiety, or other difficult feelings. Seeking out mental health resources can help you feel more supported.
These may include:
- Counseling: Therapists help patients process the feelings that come up from receiving a terminal prognosis.
- Faith-based care: A spiritual care provider may be able to help you and your family find peace and meaning during the end stages of your mesothelioma diagnosis.
- Medication: Antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs may be prescribed to help support your mental health.
- Support groups: Connecting with other cancer patients can provide emotional support and reduce feelings of isolation.
You can ask your mesothelioma doctor or a hospital social worker about mental health care resources to find ones that best fit your case.
Download 14 Questions to Ask Your Doctor for help getting the answers you need about your mesothelioma care plan.
Legal and Financial Decisions for End-of-Life Mesothelioma Patients
As you reach the end stages of mesothelioma, you can make legal decisions that affect the types of care you receive and your finances.
Learn about updating a will, choosing a power of attorney, and setting up advanced medical directives below.
Advance Directives
If a doctor determines you have end-stage mesothelioma, you can set up advanced directives. Also known as a living will, these legal instructions ensure your medical wishes are carried out if you become incapacitated.
Advance directives can specify if you want:
- A feeding tube (intubation) if you can’t eat
- Antibiotics or other treatment options for infections
- Medical ventilation
- Palliative care
“There’s a lot that goes into the diagnosis and choosing the correct treatment plan for a patient, and you need to have some aspect of humanity to it as well.”
To get started, ask your cancer center for advance directive documents. You can then fill them out to specify which mesothelioma treatments you want or don’t want.
Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
A DNR order requests that medical professionals won’t try to restart your heart if it stops beating.
Resuscitation can be lifesaving, but your quality of life could be diminished, particularly if you’re older and already dealing with a cancer like mesothelioma.
You can ask your medical team about getting a DNR order. If you change your mind, your doctor can remove the DNR from your records at any time.
You can also request a do-not-intubate (DNI) order, which will keep medical staff from inserting a feeding tube if you can’t eat.
Power of Attorney
If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to make medical decisions, you can grant power of attorney to another person who can do so for you.
The person you choose to have power of attorney should be someone you deeply trust to carry out your medical wishes, such as a spouse, child, sibling, or close friend. You can choose when and how power of attorney activates.
Wills
Making or updating a will allows you to divide up your assets how you see fit if you pass away.
You can specify:
- How you want your assets to be divided
- Who will care for pets or minors
- Who will represent your estate
Not having or updating your will can cause additional stress for your family members, and there’ll be no way to guarantee your wishes are carried out properly.
Mesothelioma Compensation Options For End-of-Life
Mesothelioma can be costly, even with private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Some patients have faced expenses of $400,000 or more. Mesothelioma compensation can cover expenses and protect your family if you pass away.
Mesothelioma Hope can help you pursue compensation for end-of-life care and other bills. Learn about your options below.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Mesothelioma lawsuits typically award $1 million or more, allowing you to afford any expenses you face. Lawsuit compensation comes from companies that hid the dangers of asbestos exposure (the only known cause of this cancer).
Our legal partners handle all the work of building and filing a lawsuit for you. With their help, you can receive end-of-life care without worrying about how you’ll pay for it or who’ll provide for your family if you die.
You may also qualify to file a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit if a loved one dies.
“My dad’s desire for us was to not sit still and to pursue a wrongful death suit.”
Call (866) 608-8933 to see if you’re eligible for financial compensation to help pay for mesothelioma end-of-life expenses.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Asbestos trust funds contain over $30 billion, and with legal help, you can receive compensation from them without going to court.
Our legal partners can determine which asbestos trust funds you qualify for and quickly file claims on your behalf. Many past patients have started to get the first payouts in 90 days or less by working with our partner mesothelioma lawyers.
VA Benefits
U.S. veterans ran a high risk of mesothelioma since all military branches used asbestos for decades before the dangers were publicly known. Veterans with mesothelioma may qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Notable mesothelioma VA benefits include:
- Compensation worth over $4,000 a month
- Free or inexpensive health care services for end-of-life support
- Funeral and burial reimbursement
- Survivor benefits
Our team can help eligible veterans file for or maximize their VA benefits while still getting legal compensation.
Tips for Providing Mesothelioma End-of-Life Support
When caring for a mesothelioma patient, offering emotional and physical support during end-of-life care plays a big part of making them feel comfortable.
Here are some practical tips for mesothelioma caregivers:
- Be present: Letting your loved one know you’re there for them can ease their anxiety and help them feel supported. Encourage them to talk about their feelings and listen with compassion.
- Communicate openly: Make sure the patient and their care team are on the same page. Respect the patient’s wishes about medical care and mesothelioma end-of-life decisions.
- Practice self-care: Caring for a terminally ill family member can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Take breaks, ask for help if you need it, and consider joining support groups to avoid burnout.
- Prioritize comfort: Ensure your loved one is comfortable by managing pain and symptoms. Work closely with their care team to adjust pain medications and other cancer treatments as needed.
Get our Free Mesothelioma Guide shipped overnight for more tips on caring for patients with this cancer.
Get Help With End-of-Life Decisions for Mesothelioma
Making end-of-life decisions after a mesothelioma diagnosis can ease stress and uncertainty during this challenging time.
While it’s never easy to consider that mesothelioma can be fatal, you can take control by planning ahead. We’re here to assist you and your loved ones as you navigate mesothelioma end-of-life decisions.
Work with Mesothelioma Hope to:
- Explore palliative treatments and hospice care options
- Find support to make late-stage cancer easier to bear
- Pursue financial compensation to cover end-of-life care
Call (866) 608-8933 or get our Free Mesothelioma Guide to learn more about how we can help you or someone you love.
Mesothelioma End-of-Life Decisions FAQs
What are the signs that mesothelioma is getting worse?
Mesothelioma symptoms like difficulty breathing, pain, weight loss, and cough could worsen as the cancer spreads through the body.
End-stage patients could experience severe pain and fatigue due to cancer spread and buildup of tumors.
However, symptom management provided at hospitals or in a hospice setting can allow mesothelioma patients to have a better quality of life.
What are the final days of life like with mesothelioma?
The final days of a mesothelioma patient’s life can be made easier with proper end-of-life care.
Ideally, patients should be getting supportive care to make mesothelioma symptoms near death as painless as possible. If possible, family members, loved ones, and close friends should also be on hand to support the patient.
Call our Patient Advocates at (866) 608-8933 to get more mesothelioma cancer end-of-life care tips.
What are the odds of beating mesothelioma?
It’s rare but not impossible to beat mesothelioma. Even late-stage patients could potentially live much longer than expected.
John Stahl was diagnosed with stage 4 mesothelioma after working with asbestos-containing products in the construction business. While stage 4 mesothelioma is often end-stage, John is still alive over 5 years later thanks to chemotherapy treatments.
“I’m doing very well, as a matter of fact,” John says. “I play golf twice a week. I ride the side-by-side. I go hang out with my friends when they’re around. Yeah, I’m pretty well back to normal.”
Is there any hope for mesothelioma?
Yes, there is hope for mesothelioma. Even when faced with a poor prognosis (health outlook), it may be possible in rare cases for patients to live a long time and improve their well-being.
Late-stage patients face an uncertain future, but making end-of-life decisions for mesothelioma can help them feel more in charge. These choices will allow them to ensure that their last wishes will be taken care of.
Is mesothelioma 100% fatal?
No, mesothelioma is not 100% fatal. Many patients have defied the odds to become long-term mesothelioma survivors — even when diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Some mesothelioma survivors have lived 20 years or more.
“The doctors were telling me that my odds weren’t good and that I was probably going to die,” Julie Gundlach remembers after her diagnosis in 2006. However, she’s still alive today, nearly 20 years later.
Is mesothelioma a painful death?
Dying from mesothelioma can be less painful if you receive pain management through palliative treatments or hospice care.
Specialists can help address the cause of your symptoms without subjecting you to major treatments that come with a risk of side effects.
Contact us now to get help finding treatments for late-stage mesothelioma, grief support, and other resources.
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