Unmet symptom management needs of nursing home residents with cancer

Nursing home residents living with cancer have unacceptably high percentages of unrelieved pain and other symptoms. However, residents with cancer have received relatively little attention in the literature to date. This article provides an overview of previous symptom research for residents with cancer, explores clinical and organizational factors that impede effective symptom management, and proposes an agenda for future research and clinical practice. Residents with cancer have numerous symptoms that tend to be different from the symptoms of other nursing home residents. Symptom management for residents with cancer is often complicated by cognitive impairment, declining physical functioning, and comorbid illnesses. Barriers to symptom management include underuse of analgesics and hospice, nursing home staffing patterns, and lack of resources. Additional research is necessary to provide a more comprehensive understanding of residents with cancer, explore how organizational factors affect the care of residents with cancer, and evaluate interventions for effective symptom assessment and management. Collaboration of oncology nurses with clinicians and researchers in nursing home settings is needed to improve care for residents with cancer.