When a loved one is going through cancer treatment, it can often be confusing and emotionally difficult for their loved ones. You may not know exactly how to help or provide the type of support the patient needs. Here are a few ways you can provide support to a family member or friend who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Learn more about additional cancer care education and resources for patients, families and friends.
Care Team Communication
Understanding the plan of care and any potential side effects is important for you and the patient. We understand, however, that talking to members of the care team, especially the doctors can cause anxiety. To help you feel more comfortable, here are some tips that may make communicating with the patient’s care team a little easier:
- Try to ensure that one person accompanies the patient to all appointments when possible. Our caregivers will build relationships with patients as well as with their support system. This person can be the primary contact for other family members and friends to help provide care and treatment updates. They can also help the patient by asking questions and communicating any concerns the patient has about treatment.
- If you are the person accompanying the patient to appointments, it’s useful to keep a list of questions and concerns to bring to each visit. Speak with other members of the family so you can include their questions and concerns as well.
- Tell the provider that you have questions at the beginning of the appointment so the provider can prepare to have time available to answer your questions.
- Write down the doctor’s answers. If you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to ask that the doctor explain it or draw a picture.
- You may consider getting a notebook to keep all of your questions and the answers in.
- After the appointment, if you still have questions that you didn’t fully understand, call the clinic and the nursing staff can help you get the answers you need.
- Examples of questions you may have:
- What type of cancer do they have?
- What is the stage of the cancer?
- Is there any evidence that the cancer has spread?
- What is the recommended treatment and why? What other treatment options may be considered?
- How will treatment be given? How long will it last?
- What are the side effects? What is the best way to manage them?
Providing Emotional Support
This is an emotional time for everyone, and sometimes patients inadvertently take their emotions out on loved ones. While this is very common, it can be incredibly difficult to deal with. Here ways to help navigate these situations:
Try to keep your daily routine as normal as possible.- Help coordinate times that friends and family can visit based on whether the patient feels like having company.
- Encourage physical activity. Exercise can help foster positivity.
- Be open and ask the patient what they are feeling. Don’t feel like you need to improve the situation — just listen.
- It’s ok to have frustrations and feel sad at times. Let the patient know that it is normal.
- Encourage the patient to participate in support groups or talk to a counselor about the changes they are experiencing.
- Be honest and share your concerns. Let them know that they are not alone and that you are in this together.
- Find out what the patient has done in the past to help them through difficult times.
- Learn to recognize symptoms of anxiety and depression and let a caregiver know if symptoms of anxiety or depression last more than two weeks, or if the patient is in serious distress.
- Anxiety symptoms include:
- Angry outbursts, irritability or worry.
- Difficulty concentrating or sleeping.
- Feeling nervous or shaky.
- Tightness in the chest and stomach.
- Shortness of breath.
- Depression symptoms include:
- Sadness or anger.
- Withdrawing, losing interest or completely stopping things they normally like.
- Feeling tired or hopeless
- Insomnia or loss of appetite.
- Anxiety symptoms include:
Contact Us
If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, contact us at (816) 271-1301 to schedule an appointment in any of our four locations.
