Concierge/consultant for hospice and similar?

July 18, 2016 8:12 AM

Asking for a friend here. Her mother is terminally ill with a severe brain cancer, is already suffering significant effects, and likely has less than a couple of years left. My friend lives far from her mother (as does her only sibling) and she's struggling with finding the right approach to helping her mom, helping her dad (parents are still married) and taking logistical burdens off of both of them. Is there a type of professional who can help?

My friend would love to find a professional who can act like a concierge, making recommendations and/or arrangements to hire a home healthcare worker, hire a housecleaner, and otherwise help navigate the complicated world of having a parent with terminal cancer. My friend has time to put into this, but cannot be physically present with her parents as much as she would like.

Some facts:
-Her mom is in the Seattle area; my friend is in CA and her sibling is on the East Coast
-Resources aren't limitless but she can likely afford to pay a premium price for something
-Her mother has health insurance

So... Is there such thing as a Cancer Concierge? Is there someone they can pay out of pocket for advice/arrangements/direction/etc? I feel like this might be a thing that exists, but I can't find the right search terms.

posted by Ignatius J. Reilly to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Have you reached out to your local hospice group? They can often provide a great deal of this help.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:29 AM on July 18, 2016

Seconding hospice group. When my dad was terminally ill, the hospice group helped arrange all sorts of things, including coordinating in-home care, getting medical supplies like a wheelchair and a walker, etc. They also have resources to help family members process and deal with grief. My first stop would absolutely be a hospice group local to your friend's mom.
posted by bedhead at 8:43 AM on July 18, 2016

My area (Western NY) has an independent group called the Cancer Wellness Center which offers "cancer coaching" and other support; maybe search for this sort of thing. The place where the person is treated may also be able to connect her with resources--that would be how folks here would find the CWC.
posted by Riverine at 8:51 AM on July 18, 2016

Yes, I'd imagine any good-sized cancer center will have something like this. At my Cancer Center they're called Patient Navigators.
posted by something something at 9:04 AM on July 18, 2016

A hospice program will have a social worker or a care manager who can help with all of this.

If for some reason they don't, there will be a social worker at the hospital where she is being treated who can help get her started.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 9:18 AM on July 18, 2016

I found a group, End of Life Washington that provides the kind of services your friend is looking for. I have linked to their page that has contact information.
posted by Altomentis at 2:52 PM on July 18, 2016

Also, Senior Services, now called Sound Generations(re: Puget Sound), here
posted by Altomentis at 2:57 PM on July 18, 2016