Being diagnosed with cancer often results in a flood of emotions and concerns. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to handling this kind of news, there are things you can do to ease your senior loved one’s fears after a cancer diagnosis and shift the focus to positive, productive goals moving forward.
1. Get Contact Info
You and your loved one may not be thinking clearly enough to ask all the questions you need to ask immediately after hearing the news. Make a list of questions when you have a chance to take a deep breath, and schedule an appointment to go through these specific questions.
2. Do Some Research
There’s usually no urgency to decide on treatment options. Take time to research the type of cancer your loved one has and what possible treatments are available. This might even include clinical trials and holistic methods.
If your loved one is diagnosed with cancer, you might want to consider bringing in a professional home caregiver to help. Living with serious health conditions can make it challenging for seniors to age in place. However, they can maintain a higher quality of life with the help of professional in-home care. Frederick seniors can benefit from assistance with meal prep, bathing, transportation to the doctor’s office, medication reminders, and much more.
3. Share Their Feelings
Encourage your loved one to express his or her thoughts and feelings to family members and friends. If your loved one doesn’t feel comfortable with that, he or she can keep a diary.
4. Put Together a Support Team
Your loved one will need at least one person to provide emotional support and a few others to help with practical things like transportation to appointments and doing research into treatment possibilities. Separating emotional and practical responsibilities can make it easier to manage your loved one’s needs, and you might find hiring an in-home caregiver is the best choice for your loved one.
If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care, a leading provider of home care service families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
5. Consider Self-Management Options
Whether it’s getting a second opinion or considering alternative therapies, there are many ways your loved one can take control of his or her situation. Finding ways to help your loved one feel in charge of his or her treatment process will help him or her stay focused on positive outcomes and prevent feelings of helplessness or defeat.
6. Relax
It’s going to be better for your loved one’s overall health to stay as calm as possible. Consider setting aside time for your parent to relax and unwind, and encourage your loved one to find comfort in friends and family and to maintain his or her overall health.
Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted Frederick home care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help. To schedule a free in-home consultation, give us a call at (301) 786-5045 today.
