Ideas For Patients & Caregivers
How To Improve Comfort

Tips For Caregivers, Friends, and Family

» Tips For Patients
» Tips for Caregivers, Friends and Family

Encourage visitors to keep their visits brief -While it is often very uplifting to the patient to have visitors, it can be exhausting as well. Ask those who want to visit to please call before they come to the hospital. For the person going through treatment, their energy level can vary. On any given day they can"t predict when they may or may not be up for visitors. As the caregiver, don"t be afraid to ask people before they come to visit to keep their visit short. Do not be afraid to tactfully cut a visit short if the patient appears tired. Often we don"t want to discourage visitors or feel badly if the patient tires after only 10 minutes into a visit. The patients" comfort and energy level are of the utmost importance. Don"t be afraid to be honest. The patient cannot always do that for him or herself. That is where it"s nice for the caregiver to step in and take the lead.

Write down questions for the doctor - This advice is for the patient as well as for the caregiver. Try to find out if the doctors have a standard time that they make rounds. That way you, or someone else, can be there as a second set of ears to hear what the doctor has to say. This can also be helpful during doctor"s appointments as well. But be sure to ask the patient if they would like you to accompany them or to be present when the doctor makes rounds. Ultimately it is the patient"s choice and he/she does have the right to privacy.

Take care of yourself - Be sure to eat well and get plenty of rest. This is not only for you, but also for the patient. Taking care of yourself insures that you have the stamina to continue to be there in whatever capacity you can for the patient. Often times the caregivers life becomes focused on the hospital. Vending machine diets get old quickly and sap your energy as well. Make sure to take a break from the hospital and go get some good food and rest. Rather than having lots of people sitting at the hospital, take turns. Again, it will insure that you can maintain a support system for the patient.

Patient Advocate - Insurance companies, which face pressure to keep rates low from their customers (mainly employers), have been passing that budget pressure on to hospitals. This means that, despite their best intentions, hospital nurses and administrators might not have the time to give each patient as much individualized attention as that patient would like. It"s good to have someone with the patient as often as possible (consistent with the patient"s desires) to alert hospital staff to the patient"s needs and to supplement hospital staff in meeting some of the patient"s comfort (i.e., non medical) needs.

The Importance of Touch - Don't underestimate the importance of human contact. Most patients find massage very soothing. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THE DOCTOR before doing any kind of massage. Usually neck and shoulder massage, head massage or foot massages are very effective. Again, please check with the doctor to make sure it is ok, in case of blood clots or other complications. Even if massage is not recommended, or is uncomfortable, you can hold the patient"s hand or hug him or her when you visit. Often times cancer treatment can feel like an out-of-body experience. The loss of hair and weight can make a patient feel like he or she is looking at a stranger. Touching the patient helps to ground them and reconnect them to themselves and to you. Not to mention, it is very comforting.

This is a good time for the caregivers to get a massage as well. There are a lot of emotional ups and downs associated with treatment, and this can take a toll on everyone. Take any opportunity that you can to relieve that stress. Rest, exercise, or get a massage.