A caregiver’s guide for supportive cancer care

Neethu Sheri Kurian

Content Specialist
4baseCare

A caregiver, a family member, friend, or neighbor, provides care for an individual suffering from cancer and it may be very tough emotionally and physically. Hence, sometimes people around caregivers should comfort and reward them for their great support of cancer patients.

The responsibility of a caregiver is to provide different types of supportive care to cancer patients according to their needs. There are different types of direct or indirect support provided by the caregiver to cancer patients:

• Act as an emotional pillar
• Supportive in physical care
• Serving as the communicator between the patient and the health care team
• Support to handle financial and insurance issues
• Self-care for caregivers: Increase the potential to support cancer patients

Act as an emotional pillar

A caregiver act as an emotional pillar or support for managing the emotional trauma of cancer patients and their family members. A caregiver has to make cancer patients cope with their sadness, anxiety, or anger by giving them space to talk about it with them. Cancer patients are also mentally affected by symptoms, treatments, and medications such as they are not able to sleep, feel stressed, and have anxious behavior regarding treatment outcomes. A caregiver should support patients with mental stress by motivating them to practice exercise, yoga, meditation, creating art, and counseling. Caregivers also help cancer patients if they need medication to deal with anxiety, depression, or inadequate sleep.

A caregiver should suggest their patients become a member of a group of cancer survivors that help them to motivate and fight cancer.

Supportive in physical care

As a caregiver, information about the patient’s disease and its treatment, management of medical equipment required, and medications given to the patient should be organized at all times. Physical care for cancer patients is also provided by the caregiver by helping them with managing their symptoms (pain or nausea), changing their bandages, or handling medical equipment. Apart from that, a caregiver must help patients to perform daily activities.

Serving as the communicator between the patient and the health care team

Caregivers should go along with cancer patients to all their appointments because they can act as a bridge and communicate information with their families and friends. Before going for an appointment, the caregiver should list down patients’ and families’ main concerns which they have to converse with the healthcare providers to bring clarity on the patient’s condition.

A caregiver should encourage the cancer patient to be as independent as possible in their routine activities. The caregiver can also ask for help from other family members or friends to take care of the patient. They should organize and arrange all the medical supplies and equipment in one place, which saves time. Given that cancer patients take a variety of medicines at once, a caregiver should support them by preparing a timetable to keep track. A caregiver should be aware of the probable side effects of all medications and know how to deal with them. Also, they should keep some important contacts at all times to whom patients can reach out due to any health issues.

Support to handle financial and insurance issues

Cancer treatment is very expensive and it can be hard to manage the financial parts of cancer care by families alone. To reduce the financial issues, the caregivers find social workers or case managers who can provide information about the community resources that support such families. Some of the medical costs such as the expense of a car trip to visit a doctor, some prescription medications, and medical equipment are generally not covered by the insurance companies but are tax-deductible. A caregiver must have to consider the following points regarding health insurance:

• A caregiver should take care of the expiry date of the patient’s medical insurance.
• Knowledge about the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is beneficial to cancer patients for a short time if their healthcare coverage is lost (Condition: premium must be paid in full).

Self-care for caregivers: Increase the potential to support cancer patients

Due to excessive burnout, caregivers can also experience stress, anxiety, depression, and frustration. Hence, taking self-care for their health makes them good caregivers and also improves their quality of life. It will increase their potential to support cancer patients efficiently. The body has a natural way to combat normal stress and handle situations. Therefore, the caregivers should engage themselves through mind-body practices such as yoga, meditation, and deep relaxation, which could help them in relaxing their bodies and reduce their stress.

REFERENCES :

1. Jika BM. Supporting family caregivers in providing care. New Vistas. 2021; 7(2): 21-5.
2. Schulz R, Beach SR, Friedman EM, Martsolf GR, Rodakowski J, James III AE. Changing structures and processes to support family caregivers of seriously ill patients. Journal of palliative medicine. 2018; 21(S2): S-36.
3. National Cancer Institute.