Home palliative care in oncology

Palliative care allow to develop social policies and innovative health, focused on the needs and preferences of patients, combining scientific knowledge, skills and attitudes to promote the excellence of care. Also promote a holistic care which improves the comfort and quality of life of the patient and family, through an approach of the problems associated with life-threatening diseases, preventing and relieving suffering by early identification and assessment of pain and other physical problems, psychological, social and spiritual. Care the patient at home with oncologic diseases is important to respect the preferences of patients and to provide humanized end-of-life care.The literature review show that 51 % of patients prefer to die at home but sometimes that it is not possible. Palliative care enable early intervention in the oncologic illness trajectory as well as personalized care approaching effectively the needs of patients and families, providing an improved quality of life and reducing the need for hospitalizations, painful and disproportionate.It is essential to develop home palliative care teams (HPCT) to deliver quality care and implement interventions, given the management of symptoms, assessment and care planning, monitoring, preparation and support in bereavement. Given the guidelines of the EAPC, is needed one HPCT per 100,000 inhabitants. To achieve this goal is vital to have health professionals with specializes education and training in palliative care to meet the needs of oncologic patients and their families wishing to stay and be cared at home.