There are about 1 million cases of cancer diagnosed every year and for every senior with cancer, there is at least one caregiver assigned to the patient so if you are taking care of a senior with cancer today, that means you are not alone. The trouble with caregiving is that sometimes people expect too much from you. There is no way you can be the superwoman they want you to be. That’s not possible. Educating yourself is the key to easier and manageable caregiving life.
Below are some key points you might want to remember when caring for a loved-one with cancer:
· Acceptance. It is important for your senior to accept his or her condition. More importantly is for you to be able to accept it as well. Acknowledge that the person now has a medical condition that needs to be given attention every single day. That the condition can get worse or perhaps the possibility that it won’t ever be the same again. Never underestimate cancer, it would be best to always update yourself about the condition so you’ll always be one step ahead of things.
· Support groups. Put together support groups – and I am putting emphasis on the plural term as you need all the help you can get to manage cancer. There are several ways to create support groups so that you’ll never have to worry about reaching them whenever you need one. You can create your own medical support group which consists of doctors, nurses and just about anyone who has medical background. Then you can also put together a family support group which can help you with your caregiving duties, etc. There are also online support groups that can help you with some of the basic questions about caring for a loved-one with cancer.
· Every case is different, every symptom is different. Never judge a cancer patient of making it all up – if you are starting to get annoyed with aches and pains that don’t seem to go away no matter what you do. Bear in mind that cancer patient has different needs and never expect them to be strong since it is their body they’re against with.
· Ease the pain by making them smile. Cancer is indeed a very complex condition and there are no guarantees that a person can go through it alive. The only thing you could ever do for them is try to make them smile and make life more worthwhile.
· Allow them some space. Let them know it is okay to be sad and never force them to be strong. In time, they will eventually accept their condition and will decide on doing what they think is best for them.