With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to highlight how living with cancer can affect seniors. Cancer is an increasing problem for older adults – the NIH has a startling graph here (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/age). Cancer is bad enough on its own, but in seniors it is likely to occur alongside other conditions that make managing it complicated. Things like dementia, other chronic illnesses, and compromised balance, strength, and healing all make a cancer diagnosis much more frightening.
Getting help at home can make a huge difference to patients and their families. Assisting Hands has worked with clients with a range of different cancers, so we are accustomed to addressing these types of complexities. Cancer care is personal for us – I lost my father to lymphoma and my aunt to breast cancer. Similarly, most of our caregivers have been impacted by loved ones with cancer. All of us want to help!
Family caregivers are invaluable to people with cancer, and the things they do are heroic. But even heroes need help sometimes, so when should you call for backup? Here is a list of questions; if you answer “No” to any of them, please call Assisting Hands for a free consultation to see how we can support you and your loved ones.
- Can we meet our loved one’s physical and mental needs at home? What if the conditions worsen?
- Are we willing and able to monitor medical equipment, medications, and health status?
- Are our loved one’s symptoms under control?
- Is our loved one safe in the event of an emergency?
