Empowering Your Parent to Approach Their Cancer in the Way that is Right for Them
September 29, 2016
Home Care in Cranberry Township PA
Most people will be impacted by cancer at some point in their lives. This means that they will either develop the disease themselves, or they will have a friend or family member who will develop 
this disease. If you are a family caregiver for an elderly parent who is at the beginning of their journey with cancer, it is important that you show them the support and compassion that they need to approach their cancer in the way that is right for them. Finding out that they have cancer can be extremely overwhelming and stressful. They might feel confused and now know which direction to turn. Empowering your parent to approach their cancer in their way will help your parent to feel calmer, more in control, and better able to get through this experience.
Use these tips to help empower your parent to approach their cancer in the way that is right for them:
- Let them talk. Empowering your parent to make the cancer decisions that are right for them starts as soon as they get their diagnosis. Do not immediately step in and try to “take over” their care. Instead, let them be the one to ask questions and start making decisions. By letting them be the one to take control of the experience from the beginning you are letting them know that this is about them.
- Answer their questions. When you are talking to your parent about their experience with cancer, be open and willing to answer their questions and tell you what you are thinking. Do not try to sway them or argue with what they have expressed to you, but show them honesty and openness so that they know that they can trust you to talk them through anything that they need to discuss.
- Encourage other opinions. Make sure that your parent understands that they do not have to only listen to the doctor who diagnosed them, or the first specialist that they see after their diagnosis. Let them know that there are many doctors and many approaches, and that they need to find the one that is right for them. If they do not feel good about the care that they are receiving, or the attention that they are getting from the doctor, they should look for another option.
If your elderly parent has recently been diagnosed with cancer, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting senior care for them. A senior home care services provider can offer your aging parent the support, encouragement, and individualized care and assistance that they need to help them stay as healthy, strong, and mentally and emotionally well as possible as they age in place. This can also be extremely meaningful for you. Going through cancer with your aging parent can be emotionally difficult and exhausting. Knowing that they are in good hands can relieve your stress and ensure that you feel more confident that they are getting everything that they need whether you are with them or not.