When a family member gets diagnosed with cancer, it can be hard for their caregiver to know what to do and how to help. Their treatment will rely on the skills of professional doctors, nurses, and other trained specialists. If your elderly loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, here are some easy steps that you can take to help her during her treatment plan along with getting cancer care at home services.
Five Ways to Encourage Self-Care During the Cancer Journey
Your loved one may feel like she should just double down and get through it. But taking moments to focus on her self-care will be a big part of her healing. As her caregiver, you can encourage her to consider initiating these practices (with or without you) to help her through this time.
1. Encourage her to learn some new mindfulness or stress-reducing techniques.
While it isn’t always “mind over matter,” having calm and peaceful mindfulness during a highly stressful time can counterbalance the negative health effects that stress has on the body, especially when dealing with cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy.
2. Allow her time to be pampered.
What does pampering look like for your loved one? Is it getting her nails painted? Or perhaps getting a big, cozy blanket, a cup of her favorite tea, and putting on her favorite music? Whatever it is, encourage your loved one to take these moments to pamper herself.
3. Help her connect with others.
While your loved one has you and her medical staff, at this time in her life, she might need the support of other cancer patients through an online chat or group session. She might also appreciate reconnecting with old friends and talking about their glory days.
4. Provide distractions.
Whether it’s a puzzle, a movie marathon, or an art project, help your loved one forget about what she’s going through for a bit with a distraction that involves something she loves to do. Make sure to keep it within her current energy level range and be flexible enough to come back to it if she gets too tired to finish it.
5. Get her out of the house.
A walk through a park or a nice drive around town can provide a lovely distraction and a great time for conversation between the two of you.
Cancer Care at Home Can Also Involve Asking for Help
If your loved one lives on her own or if she’s living with another aging loved one, one step that can help her manage her health during her cancer treatments is to find someone to provide cancer care at home. This person may be a home care provider who helps with home chores so she doesn’t have to expend energy on them and can focus on getting well. It could also involve having someone who has experience with providing cancer care at home to help with medication management and providing meals that are prepared especially for her dietary needs.
Receiving some help for cancer care at home could provide your loved one with just what she needs to ensure she can make this journey and return to regular life when it’s over.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Cancer Care at Home in Pleasant Hill, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855
- Making Your Loved One More Comfortable During Cancer Treatment - January 10, 2025
- Post Hospital Care: Making Seniors More Comfortable in Their Homes After Discharge - January 3, 2025
- Five Tips to Reduce Swelling Due to Edema - December 24, 2024
