What's it like to be treated at home?

ACS Answer

It is important to take medications as prescribed and to be alert to side effects that may occur. Usually, a home care nurse will come to your home regularly to give or check on home treatments.

What to do

Pills

• Take pills exactly as prescribed.
  • You may have to get up in the middle of the night to take your pills at the correct time.
  • If taking pills only once a day, try to take them just before bedtime to avoid any uncomfortable side effects, such as nausea.
• Ask your doctor or nurse about any expected side effects and about ways to control them. For example, if your pills could cause nausea, should you take them before meals?
• Keep all your medications out of the reach of children.

Intravenous (IV) medication

• A home health nurse will come to your home to give drugs intravenously (into a vein) or to teach you and your family how to give these.
• See section on tubes and IV lines for further information on care of the IV site.

Injections (under the skin or into a muscle)

• Wash hands well with soap and water before using.
• Take medication as instructed by your doctor or nurse.
• Check to be sure that the dosage in the syringe is your prescribed dosage.
• Wipe the injection area with alcohol. Let it dry for 30 seconds before taking the injection.
• Use a different place on the body for each dose.
• Use a site that is at least 1 inch away from the place you used before.
• Check the site for infection: redness, swelling, pain, oozing, and a temperature of over 100.5°F
• Dispose of used equipment in an empty coffee can with a lid. Bring the can to your clinic for proper disposal.

Do not

• Skip any medication doses
• Be afraid to ask questions or to call your nurse or doctor with concerns
• Touch any needles; if you do, throw them away in a coffee can and tell clinic nurses when you return the can that there is a full syringe inside
• Give injections over bony areas, under the waistband, or at a red, inflamed, sore site

Call the doctor about any of the following symptoms

• If your prescription will soon need to be refilled
• If you accidentally spill or lose medication
• If any person, other than yourself, takes your medication
• If you accidentally miss a dose
• If you notice redness, swelling, drainage, or pain at injection site
• If your temperature is greater than 100.5°F
• If you are experiencing uncomfortable side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or pain

Related Resources

Find books that cover this and other cancer topics at the American Cancer Society bookstore.

Recommended Consultation

You should consider discussing this question with your doctor or health care team.

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