Mesothelioma & Assisted Living
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops decades after exposure to asbestos, an exceptionally durable and fire-resistant construction material. In the past, asbestos was used on military and other types of large ships, in building construction, in vehicles, even in floor tiles. It is no longer used in virtually any application, and when it is found it must be very carefully removed.
When asbestos is being actively handled, like in a shipyard or factory, small, floating particles of asbestos can be inhaled by workmen and others, and years later the slow growing cancers produced by this inhalation cause cancerous tumors to develop. These tumors develop mainly in the lungs but also in the abdomen and the heart. While there is no cure for this disease, early diagnosis can extend life. Commonly used treatments are radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. These treatments are often used in combination.
Assisted Living communities can be helpful to families struggling with mesothelioma. Assisted Living can, in fact, help people with a range of conditions that prevent or inhibit good and complete lung function. People with lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and hearts that do not function well enough to oxygenate blood are in fact typical residents of Assisted Living communities. People who struggle to breath because of mesothelioma or the other conditions listed are exhausted by nearly every Activity of Daily Living – just getting dressed can be a huge challenge and going food shopping and then standing up to prepare three meals each day can be just impossible.
Assisted Living communities take away all the household tasks that people who cannot breathe well struggle with. The communities shop, cook, clean, launder, and provide on-site activities and on-site physicians for residents. In addition, Assisted Living communities provide the personal care that people with extreme pulmonary problems just cannot do for themselves anymore. The communities help residents get up in the morning, dress, shower, move from place to place within the community, and get settled in the evening. Assisted Living communities are ideal support systems for people with mesothelioma and other conditions that impact lung function.
For more information on mesothelioma, you can contact the outstanding patient support group Mesothelioma Hope. Their website is https://www.mesotheliomahope.com/. This group’s phone number is 855 318 3238. They are ready to help with a wide variety of questions about this disease.
For information on how Assisted Living can help seniors with Mesothelioma or other serious conditions affecting the lungs, like COPD, CHF, and Emphysema, contact Mike McClernon of Assisted Living Locators of Long Island at 516 254 9481, or mikem@assistedlivinglocatorslongisland.com.