If your elderly loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, know that you can do many things to support them on this journey. Here’s how to show your love and support and how family medical care in Arkansas can help you along the way.
Preparing to care for a cancer patient
As you prepare to care for your loved one, understand that they’ll need your patience and compassion above all else. This requires empathy, or the ability to put yourself in their place, as well as your willingness to give freely without expecting anything in return.
It will also help to learn some basic cancer treatments, diets, and phrases, such as integrated care. This will help you communicate with doctors, nurses, and your loved one more easily about the condition and its treatment.
1. Do your research.
Educating yourself on treatments or diets is a good place to start. It also helps to research and learn new technologies, such as Zoom, that many doctors have started using for patients who can’t leave their homes because of social distancing guidelines.
Offering many benefits, telehealth appointments let patients talk to their doctors, get examinations, receive treatments for major or minor conditions, and even get screened for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
2. Use free time for fun activities.
Whether it’s watching movies, listening to music, or playing board games, doing something that your loved one enjoys can help pass the time and can help make their day better.
You can also ask their doctor what physical activities would be suitable for them. This might include going for a short walk with them at their pace, visiting a flower shop, gardening, or building and painting a birdhouse. Along with helping with coordination, focus, and mental sharpness, these activities can:
- Help your elderly loved one become more mobile.
- Make them less dependent on you for certain activities.
- Lessen their nausea, and give them more energy.
- Improve the blood flow in their arms and legs.
- Lower the risk of becoming depressed and/or anxious.
- Help them improve their self-esteem.
But whatever you choose to do with them, always make their health your priority, and always consult their doctor before making any major changes to their routine. Encourage them throughout the day, and as ARcare medical professionals suggest, help them maintain certain lifestyle changes that promote better health.
3. Browse medical care centers together.
If the doctor thinks that it’s time to transfer care to a community health clinic in Arkansas, remember to include your loved one in the conversation. You can browse care centers together, and discuss the positives and negatives of each one. Be positive with them, and remind them that this change is in their best interest.
It would also help to include other family members in the discussion. Work together during this time, and don’t make it about you or your family members. Make it about your loved one, their health, their safety, and their peace of mind.
4. Never give up on them.
Despite the lifestyle changes that this journey demands, never give up on your loved one and their health. Keep them encouraged and hopeful, and remind them how important they are to you.
As you continue to learn about cancer and its treatment options, remember to get help from a behavioral health professional if necessary. With more than three decades of healthcare service, ARcare can help cancer patients with depression and anxiety and can help improve their nutrition, physical condition, and overall health.
For more information
You have many ways to support your loved one on their way to better health, and ARcare wants to help. Contact us today at (866) 550-4719, or submit this form today to request an appointment.