A caregiver is someone who provides emotional and practical support to care for their relatives while they are sick.
When someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they may need help getting to appointments, walk, take a shower or dressing. In addition to the emotional and practical support, caregivers can take many other responsibilities:
- Accompany patient appointments
- Take the patient's home, or Parenting
- Communicating health information to the patient's family or friends ?? on behalf of
- advocate for the patient when they can not
- research treatment options, clinical trials or mesothelioma specialists
Typically, a primary care provider provides the most support mesothelioma patient. primary caregivers are usually spouses or adult children. However, friends, siblings and colleagues can also provide some support at times and be considered as caregivers, too. Usually the primary caregiver is the one who struggle especially with the burden of extra responsibility.
What is the source of stress?
Add responsibilities on the plate of a caregiver can be overwhelming for them, especially when they are already struggling with the emotional impact of watching our expensive battle mesothelioma.
Most caregivers are grateful for the opportunity to do something useful for the patient. Other family members and friends may feel helpless while doctors and nurses are busy treating the disease.
Driving their tasks treatment or cooking are close to them that allow the caregiver to feel useful. However, if the primary caregiver has too many of these responsibilities without the possibility of sharing among others, the stress of caregivers can fix in time.
Stress During cancer treatment a patient
Caregivers can miss work or postpone their commitments to accompany the patient to the doctor or go for diagnostic tests.
caregiver and the patient must learn medical terminology and become familiar with hospitals, cancer treatment centers and their procedures. The manager may take on the role of communicator for the patient so that the patient doesn ?? t have to repeat the story of their diagnosis and treatment plan for family members and friends.
When a loved one is in the hospital after surgery, caregivers may feel compelled to remain to keep the company and ensure that they get proper care. It is difficult to see a loved one in pain, shortness of breath, nausea or fatigue, and many caregivers become overwhelmed trying everything they can to help the patient feel better.
The end of treatment is a time when patients and caregivers looking forward to return to a sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, the recovery may take longer than the caregiver or patient waiting, which leads to frustration because the caregiver should continue to perform the functions of the patient.
There may also be friction between the patient and the caregiver when n ?? t agree on how and when to return the responsibility to the patient.
Perhaps the most difficult phase for the patient and the caregiver is when mesothelioma progresses to the final stage.
As the patient ?? s health deteriorates, emotional stress and physical burden on the caregiver is at its peak. For this reason, palliative care organizations offer symptom management for patients, but also practical and emotional support for caregivers in their home.
Support for Caregivers
First, caregivers must accept and acknowledge their feelings.
Some caregivers reported they feel guilty when they feel lonely, angry, sad or overwhelmed because they aren ?? t those with cancer. Talk about your thoughts and feelings with a friend or family member can help release some of that stress.
Others have unrealistic expectations of themselves and their ability to handle the stress of caregiving for extended periods of time. It is helpful for caregivers to have compassion and understanding for themselves as they try to juggle caring for a person and take care of their own responsibilities.
Accept offers of help and ask if you need to.
Many people reach out to mesothelioma patients and caregivers saying ?? Let me know if there's anything I can do. ?? Now it's time to take on these offers. Your neighbor can walk your dog. Your best friend can go to the grocery store for you. Your nephew can mow your lawn or rake leaves. Let the brother ?? s patient to take him to the chemotherapy time to time so that the caregiver can take a break.
Who Cares for the caregiver?
Although caregivers provide their loved one with care, caregivers should endeavor to take personal time.
We all need to eat, sleep, get our dental and medical examinations and walks to remain healthy. It is also important that we make the occasional recreational activity like watching a movie, eating lunch with a friend and a haircut.
Caregivers tend to put their own needs and desires on hold, taking care of a patient. However, there comes a time when caregivers need to put their own needs. It is how we reload our batteries so we can continue to be caregivers.
Some caregivers find comfort in sharing their stories and feelings with other caregivers in support groups, online chat rooms or forums for caregivers. Many local hospitals or senior centers offer support programs for caregivers to allow them the opportunity to meet other carers in their community.
When the caregiver stress becomes so overwhelming that it starts to affect the mental or physical health of the caregiver ?? It may be time to seek professional advice from a physician or a professional mental health.
sometimes, caregivers receive medications to treat depression, anxiety or sleep disorders. A consultant with expertise in working with caregivers will be able to teach coping strategies to reduce the symptoms of caregiver stress.
When someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the treatment team and support is often focused on meeting the needs of the patient. However, it is important to remember the primary caregiver is walking every step of the cancer journey with the patient and probably wear a heavy physical and emotional toll.
Therefore caregivers should be aware of their own stress levels and take steps to care for themselves.
