A cancer diagnosis can be scary news, but once the initial shock has worn off, families have to determine what the next steps are. For many families, those next steps include chemotherapy, a common treatment course for many forms of cancer, with caregiving support from a cancer care at home agency.
Chemotherapy works by using a drug that kills and stops the growth of cancer cells. It can be used to cure cancer or greatly slow its growth. Sometimes it’s the only cancer treatment, while other times it’s combined with other treatments to ensure the cancer patient has the greatest odds of success in overcoming the cancer in his body.
Why Does Chemotherapy Make a Person Fatigued
While chemotherapy is one of the best cancer treatments, it also comes with a price. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the body, seeking out and destroying cancer cells and, in the process, often destroy healthy cells as well. The side effects from chemo treatment vary from person to person and from cancer to cancer, so your loved one may not know how strongly he’ll struggle with side effects until he has begun the treatment.
One of the most common symptoms that is noticed by most patients is fatigue. For some, the fatigue is so great, that it makes getting out of bed nearly impossible. For others, it slows them down and makes getting tasks done more difficult but not impossible.
Consider Cancer Care at Home for Chemo Fatigue
If your loved one still lives on his own or with an aging spouse and wants to manage his chemotherapy side effects while still staying in his own home, talk to him about having someone come to the house to provide cancer care at home. By having a cancer care at home provider visit each day or several times a week to help, your loved one can still stay at home, rest as needed, and have someone there who will help him manage his household when he doesn’t have the energy to do it.
Services Cancer Care at Home Providers Offer
Non-medical cancer care at home providers can help your loved one with these services to reduce the fatigue he’ll feel while recovering.
Home Chores
A cancer care at home provider can help with chores around the home that your loved one doesn’t currently have the energy to take on. They might help with minor cleaning tasks like sweeping or dusting. They can also assist with daily needs like washing dishes, cleaning clothes, and getting the mail.
Emotional Support
Your loved one may have fatigue because of the emotional weight that having cancer and going through treatment carries. He may appreciate having a compassionate person visit his home to sit beside him, listen, and support his emotions that he’s not comfortable sharing with his family.
Food Preparation
Not eating can increase fatigue but chemotherapy often makes eating difficult. A cancer care at home provider will encourage your loved one to eat and drink plenty of fluids so that his body has the resources it needs to have the strength to manage the side effects of chemotherapy.
Caregiver Support
Having cancer care at home providers visit can also provide relief for other family members caring for the loved one by allowing them time to focus on other things while they care for the cancer patient.
Rest is an important part of recovery for cancer patients of any age, but especially for aging seniors. A cancer care at home provider can be the compassionate support your family needs through a challenging time.
Providing exceptional Cancer Care at Home in Arlington, VA, for seniors and families in the Northern Virginia area, including Arlington, Alexandria, McLean, Reston, Burke, Ashburn, Centreville, Springfield, Manassas, and Oakton. Call today to speak with our caring staff: (703) 272-8838.
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