Information for Patients and Caregivers

1. Communicate and express your feelings about the care. This is crucial to creating a healing environment and for helping one another gain the strength necessary to deal with the crisis of caregiving.
2. Know what resources are available.
3. Be an educated caregiver. Seek out current information from your healthcare provider, the Internet, your local library, the American Cancer Society, and local support groups.
4. Get help. Ask for help from friends, family and community resources.
5. Examine what is important and delegate necessary tasks when able. Let someone who can be objective help you sort out necessary tasks.
6. Take care of yourself. If stress becomes overwhelming, don’t be afraid to ask for help or seek professional help.
7. Manage your level of stress. Be aware of your symptoms of stress and use relaxation techniques that work for you or consult your health professional.
8. Accept changes in case situation as they occur--expect changes.
9. Do legal and financial planning.
10. Be realistic. Give yourself permission to grieve for the losses in your life that you experience.
11. Focus on the positive moments as they occur.
12. Give yourself credit, not guilt. Remember that you are doing the best that you can.
13. Keep a diary or list of questions to discuss with the healthcare professional.
14. Keep informed about disease and treatment.

• Find a health care professional that understands and meets the needs of you and your family member.
• Find a health care professional that will talk to you about the care situation.
• Remember the patient’s anger is not due to you, but due to the disease and treatment crisis.
• Join a support group.
• Share concerns and ask for help from family and friends.
• Ask for what you need!
• Live day to day. Appreciate the value of each day.
• Take time out. Allow time for yourself each day.
• Write about your experiences. Record special events that have brought relief. Write down thoughts you feel you can not share. (a diary or journal)
• Keep communication open. This openness allows families to provide support to each other.
• Make decisions together.
• Have faith and find support spiritually.

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Hoffman, Barbara et al. "A Cancer Survivor’s Almanac—Charting Your Journey" 1996 118-129.

Baxandall, Susanne, Reddy, Prasuna. "The Courage to Care—The Impact of Cancer on the Family". 1993 pp 153-177. "Taking Time" National Cancer Institutes. 1997.

Rural Partnership Linkage for Cancer Care Newsletter. "Caregivers: Remember to take care of yourself". July 1994.

Rural Partnership Linkage for Cancer Care Newsletter. "What Can I Do to Help" January 1994.

Alzheimer’s Association "10 Ways to Help Reduce Caregiver Stress" and "10 Signs of Caregiver Stress".