How Can You Be An Effective Caregiver For A Cancer Patient?

Cancer affects the whole family, not just the person diagnosed with it. “How can I help? What do I do now?” are the common worries of the family members.

The following are some tips intended to help you serve as a positive and effective caregiver to someone with cancer.

1.      Remember that caregiving is a team effort: Family members, friends, relatives, doctors all together form the caregiving team. Each member of the team offers different skills and strengths to provide effective care.

2.   Accept the helping hand: Be honest with yourself about what you can do. Think about the tasks you can give to others. And let go of tasks that aren’t as important right now. It’s okay to have "helpers." You may find that learning to let go and to say “YES!” will ease your anxiety and lift your spirits. Keep a list of all caregiving tasks, small to large.

3.   Recognize a “New Normal”: Acknowledge that your normal life, finances, and friendships may change for some time. Strategize to integrate your new routine with the old one. Identify parts of your life that you can still control, keep some tasks on hold, and add the new day to day chores. Keep away the guilt of not meeting everyone’s expectations and realize that the support you provide is priceless.

4.   Relieve your mind, recharge your body: The task of caregiving can easily get overwhelming. Taking small breaks and doing simple activities you enjoy like taking a walk or nap, stretching out, listening to music, doing yoga or simply some deep breathing exercises, will help you rejuvenate and avoid burnout. Allow yourself time to spend with people important to you. This will be beneficial for your health and wellbeing.

5.   Be kind to yourself and acknowledge your limits: Eating healthy food, staying hydrated, exercising, and getting enough sleep will keep your health on track. Prayer, meditation, and other spiritual activities have also shown to calm and refresh the mind.

6.   Plan Ahead: Though planning can be difficult because caregivers are often troubled by feelings of uncertainty, making plans for the future (both short term and long term) have been shown to help. Scheduling activities on days your loved one is not feeling the side effects of treatment will be something to look forward to for both of you.

To be able to care for your loved one, you need to take care of your mental and physical health as well. Taking care of yourself can make a big difference in how you feel about your role. Seek professional help if you’re finding it difficult to cope with your mental or physical health.