How Do You Care For Someone with Cancer? (podcast)

Hearing you have cancer is very overwhelming. It’s very helpful during those initial discussions with the physician that the caregiver be there or be a part of those discussions as a second set of ears. It’s a lot of information. It’s not something that’s easily retained.

If you have a second set of ears with you, then you can work together — the patient and the caregiver — to confirm what each of you heard and really have a better understanding of what’s going to happen next.

There are so many ways that caregivers help our patients, whether it’s making sure they have food, making meals in some cases, coordinating transportation if needed, setting up appointments, making sure medications are being taken properly or that if there are refills that are needed that it’s taken care of in a timely way, as well as communicating with the physicians and nurses as needed for the patient.

Another role that the caregiver provides is being a point of contact to other loved ones and family members who are worried and concerned about the newly diagnosed cancer patient or the patient going through treatment. They can serve as a point of contact for all those communications and that really lifts the burden off of the patient.

The caregiver often knows the details of that person’s needs and they can help to be an advocate in letting the oncology team know or seek out community resources for things like financial assistance. They can really bring that information forward and it’s key to the well being of the patient.

It really makes a difference for the patient and their journey. They have a partner that they’re going through this journey with, somebody that knows them and loves them, and it’s priceless. It really takes some of the burden off of that patient and gives them the emotional support that they need to keep moving forward in their treatment.

First don’t give up. It can be very challenging and we know that, but it’s just such a valuable role that you’re fulfilling. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many times you want to do it all for the patient, but there are a lot of times other people that would love to pitch in with meals or grocery shopping, that type of thing.

And finally, and this is very important, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Many times being the caregiver is a full-time role and people can sometimes forget about their own needs and their own nutrition and their own medical needs. Neither patient nor caregiver ends up in a good situation if the caregiver hasn’t taken the time to care for their own needs.

They often bring us information that we wouldn’t otherwise be made aware of. Perhaps the patient is struggling emotionally. Perhaps there are struggles within the family. Perhaps the patient isn’t really sleeping well or is having more pain than they’re admitting to, or not really eating properly. When the caregiver brings us that information, we can then act on it and develop a plan to meet those needs, provide additional resources. That information is really helpful in providing the best care to the patient.

The nurse navigator gets involved very soon after a cancer diagnosis. Our role is to be a support for the patient and the caregiver in helping with being an advocate, making sure that tests are timely done, that consults happen quickly.

We understand that time is of the essence, and we act with a sense of urgency to ensure things get moving quickly. We’re also a point of contact for questions or when perhaps there are multiple team members involved and you’re not quite sure who to call. We will guide you, if you give us a call.

I would like to say thank you to all the caregivers out there.

Whether you’ve been a caregiver in the past, whether you are currently one or if you find yourself in the role in the future, we understand it’s a challenging role. We understand the value of it and what it means for the cancer patient. It really makes a difference and we appreciate you so much, so thank you for that.

If you’re newly diagnosed with cancer or have a loved one that has, give us a call at 1-800-SCRIPPS so we can really be that beacon of hope for you and your loved one.