When a Loved One Needs Cancer Services: Preparing to be a Caregiver

A cancer diagnosis is a life-altering thing, and not just for the patient seeking cancer services. Family and friends often find themselves suddenly playing the role of caregiver, not an easy one to perform.

Patients getting cancer services are likely to need help with the following things:

· Shopping and preparing food

· Taking medication

· Personal care and hygiene (bathing, grooming, dressing, using the bathroom)

· Housecleaning and laundry

· Bill paying

· Finding the right doctors and treatment facilities

· Coordinating scheduling for treatments with multiple providers

· Finding a support group

· Managing symptoms and treatment side effects at home

· Advocating for the patient with cancer services providers

The tendency is for caregivers to suffer in silence, feeling guilty about their inability to provide more help, or even about being healthy. The fact is, caring for someone with cancer costs both time and money, and if the caregiver is not careful it can take a toll on his or her health, as well.

If you are serving as a caregiver to a loved one receiving cancer services, it is normal to feel good about what you are doing, even when it costs you dearly emotionally, financially and physically. However, it is important to get the information, outside help and support you need. The better you take care of your own needs, the better prepared you will be to care for your loved one.

Here are the top 10 challenges you may have to deal with while helping a loved one with cancer.

· Communication – It can be hard to learn to talk to someone with cancer, or to talk with those who provide their cancer services and treatments. You may not understand the terminology they are using and have a lot of questions, or you may be nervous about asking your loved one questions for fear of worrying them or hurting their feelings.

· Understanding the health care system – Today’s health care system can be difficult to navigate, even for professional healthcare workers. Finding your way around treatment protocols, follow-up care, seeking second opinions, finding cancer service providers in the first place, and making sense of bills can be hard.

· Making health decisions – Whether it’s choosing a doctor or hospital, helping your loved one decide on treatment options, or how to take care of the healthy parts of their bodies while undergoing treatment, decisions about their health (and yours) will become more pressing and more difficult.

· Long-distance caregiving – If you need to care for someone who lives far away, or you simply have to travel with them so they can receive cancer services at a facility a long way from home, distance will become a factor in your caregiving.

· Treatment timeline – This goes hand in hand with understanding the system and communicating with your loved one. Understanding the timeline - what steps are involved, in what order, and how long it will take - will be essential for you. You may need to explain it to your loved one and to other caregivers. You will also need to understand it to plan for travel and expenses.

· Staying organized – Keeping track of all the details of your loved one’s care: names and contact numbers of those providing cancer services, prescriptions and proper directions for how to take them, leads for possible back-up caregivers, and everything in between - will be a crucial part of your job. You also have your own life to keep on track, so the more organized you are, the better.

· Taking care of yourself – Getting enough rest, eating right, and exercising will ensure you have the stamina and emotional strength to deal with this very trying time. When someone you love is suffering, it’s natural to feel guilty about taking care of your own health. However, you won’t be much good to them when you are exhausted or sick.

· Asking for help – Asking for help isn’t selfish or lazy, and it doesn’t mean you love them any less; it’s just plain smart! There’s a lot to do. At times, other people will be able to fulfill parts of the caregiving duties better than you can, or fill-in when you need to do something else. Never be afraid to seek help, and ask for it. Often, you will be doing the other potential caregiver a favor as many will want to help but be unsure of how. Asking for help can be a gift, as well as ease your burden.

· Job, insurance, and money concerns – If cancer treatment is making it hard for your loved one to work, you may have to deal with their job, insurance or money concerns. If you need to take time off, you may have your own concerns to contend with, as well. Staying organized and asking for help can lessen these concerns.

· Legal issues – If you run into problems you can’t solve, either dealing with the healthcare system, a job, or perhaps even a paid caregiver, you may encounter a legal issue. Think about how you might address that in advance, and familiarize yourself with resources that can help if you need them.

Being a caregiver is a tough job, but it’s an important and rewarding one, too. Today, more than 12 million Americans have had cancer. Each one probably needed a caregiver to help them through their cancer experience.

In many cases, a caregiver makes the difference, not just to the patient’s prognosis, but also in their everyday experience dealing with the disease. What may be an emotional no-brainer at first - deciding to "be there” for your loved one in any way you can - can quickly turn into a full-time job you aren’t prepared to do without major sacrifices to your own well-being.

This list of tasks and challenges can help you better prepare so your role as caregiver can be a rewarding one. Also, consult our list of cancer resources to help you and your loved one while they are receiving cancer services.

As a 229-bed acute care hospital located in the heart of Slidell, LA, Slidell Memorial Hospital provides access to cancer services, as well as the latest treatments, technology and expert physicians.