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If any of your loved ones or family members have cancer, you may be wondering how to support them in due course. Despite your sincere desire to help, sometimes choosing the right words or providing the proper support is not easy. Still, there are no set rules as each case is different.

Nevertheless, timely support and attention can help a loved one feel your concern and cope with a heavy burden. Experienced healthcare providers recommend considering several factors before talking (for the first time) to a family member who has cancer:

  1. Control your emotions. The news that someone close to you has cancer may sound overwhelming to you. Try to take the time to cope with your feelings about the diagnosis. After you calm down and focus on supporting your loved one, you can meet and talk about it.
  2. Find out more information about the diagnosis. The older person may not want to tell you the details or the reasons for this disease. Repeating the same information to different people can lead to depression. Check the diagnosis with a consulting physician. Make sure you have the correct information to care for an older adult properly.
  3. Prepare for a change in your loved one’s appearance. Constant fatigue, weight loss, pain, and hair loss are the most common side effects of cancer and most treatments. Start your visit by saying, “It’s good to see you!” Rest assured, this will sound more pleasant than asking about any physical changes.

Key Takeaways 

According to the American Cancer Society, the overall cancer mortality rate in the United States decreased by 29% from 1991 to 2017.

  • Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer death.
  • Between 2008 and 2017, the cancer death rate in the United States fell by 30% a year, helping to save more than 2.9 million lives!

Several practical suggestions

Earlier it was said that each person with cancer could behave in completely different ways. However, seasoned caregivers recommend following a few general tips on how to provide support correctly:

  • Take the time to get permission to come before paying a visit. 
  • Make plans for the future. Discuss some mutual goals for the future and support the older person’s hope that the treatment will be sufficient. Keep in mind that most treatments involve a long and tedious process. Therefore, your support at all stages of treatment can be indispensable.
  • Arrange a time when you can call on the phone. There is no point in continually calling loved ones and asking about their health. Perhaps you will reach one of the inopportune moments when a person experiences pain or trying to cope with the effects of treatment. Try to discuss the particular hours convenient for phone calls.
  • Talk about a variety of topics besides cancer. Find out more about the older person’s hobbies or interests to keep the conversation going. The thing is that people who are undergoing cancer treatment must learn to abstract themselves from this disease and fill themselves with positive emotions.

Home care service makes a difference

We do not always have time to take care of our loved ones and provide them with proper support. It is best not to waste any time and contact a professional home care agency.So, if you need affordable care for your mom or dad, look no further than All Heart Homecare Agency. If you would like to know more about our agency’s services, Contact Us at 888-388-8989.