Cancer Care Tips You Can’t Ignore After Your Mom’s Diagnosis
Women have a lifetime cancer risk of 38 percent. By the time you reach the age of 68, that risk increases by 11x. In fact, 56 percent of all new cancer cases are among those over the age of 65.
If your mom learns she has cancer, it’s not surprising. It’s also not as worrisome as it used to be, as modern medicine is helping improve the chances for a full recovery. When caught early, many cancers are treatable through medication and surgical procedures.
Your family can help your mom adjust to the changes in her life. Here are some of the ways you can help her out.
Cook Her Meals
Caregiver Jenison, MI: Cancer Care Tips
If your mom undergoes treatments like chemo or radiation, she may not be up to cooking anymore. Make sure someone is free to cook meals for her each day. You don’t have to stay long if she’s tired. Cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner, eat with her, and clean the kitchen while she rests.
Clean Her Home
Cancer can make you feel exhausted or nauseous. After surgery, your mom may be in pain. Until she’s on the road to recovery, housework will not be a priority. Keep her home clean by vacuuming and dusting. Help her with laundry and dishes. Sanitize surfaces as often as possible to help keep viruses and bacteria from threatening her weakened immune system.
Be Available for Transportation
You have to be available to provide transportation to and from her appointments. She may be seeing her oncologist weekly or monthly for treatments and blood tests. Someone needs to be free that day to provide emotional support and make sure she has a ride. If you can’t, there’s another option. Look into home care services.
Provide Emotional Support
Your mom’s going to be going through several emotions. So are you. You need to be her support system for now. If she’s sad, let her cry on your shoulder. If she’s mad, listen to her fears and frustrations. Be there to listen and offer encouragement as needed.
She may not want to go to her appointments alone. If she wants you along to make sure she asks the right questions and to pay attention to the things the doctors are telling her, schedule the appointments on days you can attend with her. Keep track of her appointments so that you don’t forget about them.
Hire Caregivers to Fill in Gaps
Make sure a support team supports your mom after her diagnosis. She’ll benefit from having everyone surrounding her with positive energy and helping her out as needed. Caregivers can help with the housework and laundry, leaving you plenty of time to spend quality time together. Call a home care agency to schedule caregivers today.
If you or someone you know needs help with a Caregiver in Jenison, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
Sources:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gec/series/cancer_aging.html
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