I'm confined to a chair now and traveling to a doctor has become stressful. My caregivers who come in cannot manage me, neither can my husband. My 2 grandsons live with us and help out in the evenings but they have day jobs. Can you advise me as to how to get a doctor who will make house calls? I've tried to get in with Hospice, but they won't help until I'm given a length of time to live. I'm 75. Thank you.
I would suggest that you ask your current MD for a referral to a Palliative care MD. This is more a "specialized practice" or a specialist, as in a gerontologist, which is also an option. You will make your wishes known and will be qualified to see a psychologist, and to see specialists that will work toward your ADLs such as you can do them (activities of daily living), addressing any depression if such is present, coming up with a good solid advance directive for the time remaining, and options for your life. You often can have somewhat better access to pain relief in palliative care, and you can still choose treatment or NOT as you go along.
For instance, at 82, and diagnosed just a year ago with my second bout of breast cancer, this one the "dread" triple negative, things are all set in place with Kaiser now per my wishes, which are simple lumpectomy with watching for further tumors, declining testing of nodes, chemo and radiation, move to palliative care with any spread for the GOOD drugs, and right to die law implemented at the 6 month prognosis (MAiD laws of state of California). This is all charted and discussed. Meanwhile I go on with my life as I have been before diagnosis.
So much of this is up to you for telling your doctor what you want in a medical team and what you choose for your future, honestly and fully. It will take a good appointment and it should all be discussed beforehand with spouse and children. And not to be honest with a whole lot of others, whose attempts to manage your care may become confusion.
Best of luck. I hope you find a "plan" that can make you more comfortable with worries about the future. It isn't always that we will "do something" but rather that we would want to know we have some support, autonomy and choices, and some options that make us comfortable in our daily lives as we live them.
Hugs and heart out to you.
What about a medical transport company to get you to appointments?
Do you mean palliative care or in home medical, two different things from my experience.