Are you caring for a loved one who has lung cancer? If so, you know firsthand the challenges — and joys — that come with being a caregiver.
“Fear, sadness [and] even depression are normal and common reactions for someone battling cancer, but also for the caregivers around them,” says Adam Klein of San Francisco, who cared for his mother, Susie, who died of lung cancer in 2016 despite having never smoked and modeling a healthy lifestyle for her family.
Nevertheless, Klein says, “It’s important that, as much as possible, you continue to make positive memories and give yourself and your loved ones things to look forward to. When your loved one is having a particularly strong day, take that opportunity to go out to dinner or to the movies. When they are not, plan for the next time they are. My mom was always planning for the next adventure. Just a few weeks before she passed away, she was still looking at the BottleRock music festival lineup and deciding which bands she wanted to see. She passed away a week before the festival, but my father, brother and I went to listen and dance to her favorite music, just as she would have.”
[See: 14 Ways Caregivers Can Care for Themselves.]
Caregivers Wear Many Hats
Caregivers perform a range of services, including helping patients with medications, driving to doctor appointments, preparing meals, managing financial and insurance matters and providing emotional and spiritual support. In fact, family caregivers are often not recognized as having a significant influence on patient care and outcomes. “Caregivers are part of the healthcare system, but they are not paid,” says Rachel Cannady, strategic director of Cancer Caregiver Support at the American Cancer Society.
Advice for Caregivers
Cannady says caregivers repeatedly report lower mental well-being, so it’s essential they also attend to their own physical and emotional needs.
Put your health first. “Caregiving is exhausting,” says Carly Ornstein, national director of lung cancer at the American Lung Association. “In order to be successful, you need to do a lot of self care. It’s not always easy.” Attend to the basics, she says: Eat well, exercise, get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. “Try to stay healthy so you don’t get run down and pass along colds. And, stay up to date with your vaccinations because lung cancer patients are often immune-compromised if they are on chemotherapy.”
[See: 8 Ways Meditation Can Improve Your Life.]
Live your own life to the fullest. “You should continue to pursue your passions and dreams as much as possible, as your loved one would never want to be the reason you stopped living,” Klein says. “When I had the opportunity to compete on the TV show ‘Survivor,’ which had been a shared dream for my mom and me, she encouraged me to go. It made her happy to know that I was living out my dream and gave all of us something hopeful to look forward to.”
Cannady concurs. “Make time for things that bring you joy outside of your caregiving role. It’s the only way your batteries will be recharged.”
Don’t go at it alone. Reach out to other people and ask for help. Tap into existing resources. Through the American Lung Association’s Caregiving portal and LotsaHelpingHands.com, for example, you can easily update family and friends and allow others to sign up to help. “It can be a little awkward,” Ornstein says. “Family and friends want to help and just don’t know how. If you can be specific with them [about what you need], it will help everyone.”
Consider participating in a support group. “The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative and the Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation are wonderful resources that can help with treatment options, connect you to a community of survivors and loved ones, and just be an ear for you when you need to talk to someone who has been through the ringer and understands,” Klein says.
[See: What Keeps You Young?]
Resources for Lung Cancer Caregivers
— Create community and organize help for patients and caregivers: CaringBridge.org, MyLifeLine, LotsaHelpingHands.com
— National Cancer Institute: When Someone You Love is Being Treated For Cancer (booklet includes a caregiver bill of rights) and Cancer information Specialist: 800-4-CANCER (800-422-6237)
— National Alliance for Caregiving
— American Cancer Society’s Caregivers and Family
More from U.S. News
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Lung Cancer
What Not to Say to Someone With Lung Cancer
7 Innovations in Cancer Therapy
Advice for Lung Cancer Caregivers originally appeared on usnews.com
