How to Be a Better Caregiver
We understand that being a caregiver is as stressful as your loved one suffering from cancer. We know you try to put in all your efforts towards the betterment of your loved one, but without proper planning it might seem very overwhelming at times. So, here are a few tips that could help you.
Knowledge is power- Gather information on the type of cancer that your loved one is suffering from. Read on the type of treatment, drugs, its side effects and how to combat them. This will help you in preparing yourself beforehand and will make you feel more confident towards helping or taking care of your loved one.
Create normalcy- Try to keep their lives as normal as possible.
Develop listening skills- Encourage your loved one who is suffering from cancer to talk and do not stop them or change the topic . If they are pessimistic about something then try to change their attitude and help them. Most importantly, do not forget to share your feelings as well.
Keep them connected- It’s normal after the diagnosis to start feeling out of place and isolating oneself sometimes. It’s important for them to feel connected. Therefore make sure that your loved one is connected with people who care for him like close relatives, friends etc.
You can also get them connected to a support group so that they know they’re not alone.
Be proactive and create a list of tasks to be done for the next one week, next day or same day so that you avoid last minute confusions or emergencies.
Accept mood changes or limitations from your loved one – A person undergoing treatment might have mood changes or physical limitations. Be prepared to handle or take care of the same.
This means that you need to learn to control your emotions as well.
Extra support at home- Check for safety issues like fixing bad lighting, grab bars in the bathroom, install a shower seat, setting up an emergency number on their phone, extra help with feeding if your loved one is unable to do so etc.
Create a daily schedule for your loved one – Daily scheduling of chores such as list of medicines and their timings, physical activity schedule, food timings etc so that they don’t forget to do the same.
Learning to provide physical care- You might find yourself in a situation where your loved one is unable to do certain things which any normal person would be able to do due to treatment side effects, surgery etc. You will have to prepare yourself for things like grooming, bathing, dressing etc. If you are unable to do the same, then you should consider hiring professional help; but never compromise on your loved one’s health.
Accept a helping hand – If you are unable to handle everything in regards to your loved ones treatment and if it gets very difficult, then you must consider taking help from your other family members, friends, or professional help so that your patient’s health remains uncompromised.
References:https://cytecare.com/blog/tips-for-cancer-caregivers/
Tags: caregiving tips, gather, Behave normal, Develop listening skills, Keep them connected, Be proactive Accept the mood change or limitation from your patient, Extra support at home, Create a daily schedule for your patient, Learning to provide physical care, Accept a helping hand, cancer
