Giving caregivers the support they need
Caregivers play vital roles in a cancer patient’s care and support system. If you’ve recently become a caregiver to someone with cancer, you can trust that your Baylor Scott & White team is as concerned about your well-being as much as your loved one’s.
Your loved one’s nurse navigator can serve as a single point of contact for questions you may have and resources you may need. They can help you learn about your loved one’s diagnosis, treatment options, clinical trials and support groups, which will help you throughout the journey.
The nurse navigator also wants to help ensure you, as the caregiver, feel up to the demands of caregiving, which can affect you emotionally and physically. Below are some steps you can take and resources available to you as your loved one receives care.
Share your feelings
Whether caring for a parent, spouse or child, you have a unique relationship with the person who has cancer. Your parent may not want to accept help from a child, and you may feel grief over the possibility of losing a spouse or child.
These feelings are valid, and you need to address them to protect your own mental health. Support groups offer safe spaces to meet other people in your situation, or you may feel more comfortable discussing them with a therapist or through the act of journaling.
Ask for help
Don’t feel like you have to do everything you did before you took on the role of caregiver. You may receive offers of help, and when you do, be specific with your requests, such as cooking meals or doing household chores.
Help can come in other ways, as well. For example, online delivery services may help make grocery shopping or medication pickups easier. Find a website that allows you to hire people for one-off tasks, such as yard maintenance. Use social media to update loved ones if that’s easier than calling people individually.
Finally, learn to let go of small tasks when you don’t have the time or energy to address them. It’s okay to let dishes sit in the sink for one night or if leaves pile up in the yard.
Schedule personal time off
You may feel guilty about doing things you enjoy when your loved one is dealing with cancer. However, those opportunities to recharge will improve your mental and physical well-being.
Make time every day for something you enjoy, even if it’s a 10-minute walk or 30 minutes to watch your favorite TV show. Try to maintain your routines as much as you can, whether going to church on Sunday or attending your monthly book club. A social worker can help you arrange respite care for those times.
Social worker support
Your loved one’s care team includes dedicated oncology social workers who are uniquely qualified to help support people with cancer and their loved ones.
Oncology social workers focus on the nonmedical aspects of care. In addition to helping with the logistics of care, such as transportation, they can help you navigate the financial and legal concerns you and your loved one may need to address.
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