Living Well with Cancer:
Cancer can affect every aspect of your life.
Treatment, surgery, medications, fatigue, pain, changes in strength or endurance, and cognitive changes can all impact the everyday activities that make up your life.
At I’ll Stay Home, occupational therapy helps people with cancer adapt to these changes so they can continue participating in the activities that matter to them.
Because therapy happens in your home, we can look at what is actually happening during everyday life, not just what happens in a clinic.
Live where you want. Do what you want. For as long as you want.
Call 614-500-4012 to learn more about in-home occupational therapy.
Serving Columbus Ohio and the surrounding communities.
Prefer to call or text? 614-500-4012
How can OT help?
Cancer and cancer treatment can affect your ability to do things that once felt automatic.
You may find yourself:
Exhausted by everyday activities
Taking longer to get dressed, shower, or prepare meals
Having difficulty keeping up with household responsibilities
Struggling with concentration, memory, or organization
Experiencing "chemo brain" or other cognitive changes
Having difficulty returning to hobbies or social activities
Feeling less confident moving around your home
Having difficulty balancing activity and rest
Depending more on family members
Having trouble returning to work or other responsibilities
Experiencing changes in strength, endurance, coordination, or mobility
Wondering how to maintain your independence while your body is changing
Occupational therapy looks at how cancer is affecting your everyday first.
The goal isn't to make someone do things a certain way.
The goal is to find the right fit between the person, the environment, and the activity.
What does occupational therapy do for people with cancer?
Adapt everyday activities
Maximize current abilities
Set-up home to support success
Support meaningful activities
Connect you to community resources
Train family and caregivers
OT can help throughout the cancer experience
Treatment:
When fatigue, weakness, cognitive changes, pain, or treatment schedules begin interfering with daily life.
Recovery:
When you're trying to rebuild routines, resume activities, and regain independence.
Survivorship:
When you're adjusting to lasting changes and figuring out what your "new normal" looks like.
With Advanced Illness:
When the focus shifts toward maintaining comfort, function, participation, and quality of life.
End of Life:
When the goal may be making everyday activities easier, supporting meaningful participation, helping family members provide assistance, and adapting the home environment to changing needs.
The goal of OT can change as your goals change.
When should someone with cancer see an OT?
You don't have to wait until you can no longer do something.
OT may be helpful if you are:
-Experiencing significant fatigue
-Having difficulty with everyday activities
-Taking longer to complete your normal routines
-Having trouble with memory or concentration
-Struggling with household tasks
-Having difficulty returning to hobbies
-Depending more on family members
-Preparing for surgery
-Returning home after hospitalization or rehabilitation
-Trying to return to work
-Feeling less confident moving around your home
-Adjusting to lasting changes after treatment
-Wanting to maintain your independence
-Planning ahead for anticipated changes
If cancer is changing how you live your everyday life, that's enough reason to consider OT.
What can I expect from an in-home OT evaluation?
Your home is where your daily routines actually happen.
That's why an in-home evaluation allows us to see more than what might be possible in a clinic.
We'll talk about what is going well, what has become difficult, and what you would like to continue doing.
I'll Stay Home looks at:
-Daily activities and routines
-Mobility and transfers
-Strength, balance, and endurance
-Cognition and functional problem-solving
-Vision and sensory factors
-The physical environment
-Meaningful activities and interests
-Caregiver routines and concerns
-Opportunities to maintain or increase independence
Most importantly, we listen.
There isn't one "right" way to live with cancer, and there isn't one intervention that works for every person.
Recommendations should fit the individual, the family, the home, and the goals that matter to you.
OT for family members and caregivers
A cancer diagnosis can affect the whole household.
Family members may find themselves doing more to support their loved ones and maintain the home.
OT can help families figure out:
-What the person can still do independently
-What can be adapted
-When assistance is actually needed
-How to provide help without taking over
-How the home can better support independence
Caregiver education and support are recognized components of cancer care.
The goal is to help the person with cancer and their family work together in a way that supports independence, dignity, and quality of life.
You don't have to wait for a crisis to ask for help.
What to expect during an in-home occupational therapy evaluation:
1. Talk About What Has Changed
We'll discuss how cancer is affecting your energy, endurance, routines, activities and priorities.
2. Assessment With Your Occupational Therapist in Your Home
We'll look at how your abilities, environment and everyday activities interact.
3. Identify What's Getting in the Way
Together, we'll identify activities, routines or environmental factors that are making daily life more difficult.
4. Develop Practical Strategies
Recommendations may include activity modification, energy conservation, routines, adaptive equipment, home modifications, caregiver education or other occupational therapy interventions.
5. Decide What Comes Next
We'll help you determine which strategies make sense for you and whether additional occupational therapy or another member of your healthcare team may be helpful.
Stay Independent: Learn ways to adapt activities while continuing to do as much as possible.
Be Prepared: Build routines and strategies that can help you respond to changes before they become overwhelming.
Keep Living: Your goal isn't simply to manage a diagnosis but to continue doing what you want to do.
Why choose I'll Stay Home?
Your Goals. Your Choices. Your Life.
We know that change is scary, and we would never force a change you aren't ready for. Instead, we use evidence, your needs, your preferences and your goals to find the just-right fit for you.
Our goal is to help you maximize your safety, independence and quality of life while keeping you in control of the decisions that affect your life.
I'll Stay Home Provides:
-Licensed occupational therapy
-Mobile services in your home
-Evidence-informed assessment and recommendations
-A client-centered approach
-Proactive rather than crisis driven services
Frequently Asked Questions
Can occupational therapy help people with cancer?
Yes. OT can help address the everyday effects of cancer and its treatment, including fatigue, changes in function, cognitive difficulties, activity limitations, and difficulty returning to meaningful activities.
OT does not treat the cancer itself. Instead, we focus on helping you function and participate in daily life.
Can OT help with cancer-related fatigue?
Yes.
OT can help you identify how you're using your energy and develop strategies such as prioritizing, pacing, scheduling, delegation, activity modification, and assistive devices.
The goal is not simply to do less. It's to help you use your available energy for the things that matter most.
Can OT help with "chemo brain"?
OT can help people develop practical strategies for managing changes in memory, attention, organization, and mental fatigue.
Strategies may include routines, reminders, environmental changes, task simplification, and technology.
Can OT help me stay independent during cancer treatment?
Yes.
OT can help you adapt activities and routines so you can continue doing as much as possible for yourself while accounting for changes in strength, endurance, fatigue, cognition, or other symptoms.
Can OT help after cancer treatment is finished?
Absolutely.
You may still experience fatigue, weakness, cognitive changes, or difficulty returning to activities after treatment ends.
OT can help you adjust to lasting changes and work toward the activities and roles that are important to you.
Can OT help before cancer surgery?
Yes.
An OT evaluation before surgery can help identify potential challenges at home and plan for how you'll manage everyday activities during recovery.
Can OT help someone with advanced cancer?
Yes.
The goals of OT can change depending on the stage of illness.
For someone with advanced cancer, OT may focus on maintaining comfort, function, meaningful activities, energy conservation, caregiver education, and adapting the home environment.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
A physician's referral is not always required to begin occupational therapy in Ohio, but insurance requirements can vary. If you plan to use insurance, we can help you determine whether your plan requires a referral, order or other documentation for coverage.
Is this home health?
No.
I’ll Stay Home provides mobile outpatient occupational therapy. You do not need to be homebound to receive services.
Therapy takes place in your home because that's where your everyday activities happen.
Will OT tell me what I can and cannot do?
No.
We'll talk about what you want to do and what is getting in the way.
My job is to help you understand your options and find strategies that fit your needs, preferences, and goals.
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Serving Columbus and the Surrounding Areas
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:
All information on this website is intended for instruction and informational purposes only. The authors are not responsible for any harm or injury that may result. Significant injury risk is possible if you do not follow due diligence and seek suitable professional advice about your injury.
No guarantees of specific results are expressly made or implied on this website.
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