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How to Be a Great Caregiver

By U.S. News & World Report

Taking care of someone with a chronic illness like cancer poses unique challenges. But millions of parents, children, siblings, partners, friends, neighbors, sisters, daughters and sons put their lives on hold to take care of someone they love. Every day they put someone else ahead of themselves and sacrifice their own personal priorities.

They drive them to appointments, spend hours in waiting rooms or hospitals and listen to the doctors meet with their loved ones. Every day they walk the fine line of being an advocate while at the same time maintaining a respectful autonomy. They pause before asking the questions, they think twice before making statements; sometimes they suffer in silence and weep with helplessness. Sometimes they wish they could bare all the pain by themselves, so that their loved ones are spared.

They explain to their supervisors about taking extra time off from work, fill out complicated Family and Medical Leave Act papers, talk to insensitive insurance representatives and complete more complicated insurance papers. They sacrifice their own health and share the financial burden.

As an oncologist interacting with many family members and caregivers of my patients, I clearly see the struggles of these caregivers every day. How do you become a great caregiver? I don’t have all the answers. But these are my thoughts.

1. Be a good listener:

Only one person understands the pain of being a patient, and that is the patient. None of us know what it’s like to be in his or her shoes, until we walk in those shoes. A person with a serious illness and those without live in two different worlds. Listening is one way of connecting those two worlds.

[See: 14 Ways to Protect Seniors From Falls.]

2. Have a frank conversation with the patient about his or her illness:

Try to understand his or her view about the price they are willing to pay when dealing with a life-threatening illness. Discuss quality of life versus quantity. Each person will have a very unique approach to these very difficult questions.

3. Respect the patient’s autonomy:

Always remember, at the end of the day, the person who has the highest stake is the person who is suffering from the major illness.

[See: 14 Ways Caregivers Can Care for Themselves.]

4. Respect the patient’s privacy:

You will be the person who is charged with setting the boundaries with other family members or friends to protect their medical information.

5. Be a strong advocate with the healthcare team for the patient:

Everybody needs a champion. Once you have a great understanding of tips one through four, it’s up to you to stand up and advocate for your loved one. You can serve as the eye, ear and mouth for the person who is suffering. If done properly, this will help the patient, and the doctors will respect your voice.

6. Be a good navigator:

Health care is a very complicated place and a complicated process. Navigating through the system alone is a challenge for anyone, even the savviest of patients. They need someone to help them in navigating this process.

[See: Emerging Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease.]

7. Try to understand the illness as much as possible:

Ask the right questions to the doctors and nurses, and try to understand the unique nature of your loved one’s illness. Try to filter the noise from the websites, literature and chatter from neighbors, friends and well-meaning experts.

More from U.S. News

14 Ways Caregivers Can Care for Themselves

How Music Helps People With Alzheimer’s Disease

How to Help Aging Parents Manage Medications

How to Be a Great Caregiver originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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