Accepting help, asking for help
Asking for help means requesting assistance for something you need assistance with. Accepting help means that when someone offers assistance, you accept it.

Caregiving Resources: Books and Websites
View a list of books and websites related to caregiving.

Communication with Health Care Professionals
Almost everyone feels better and more in control of their treatment when they understand why it is being given, as well as side effects that may happen. However, many people have a difficult time talking with their doctor or nurse. Some feel uncomfortable asking questions or talking about their illness and treatment because they’re afraid they might look foolish or ask a silly question.

Communication with Your Family and Friends
The experience of cancer or any life-threatening illness affects the entire family, as well as friends and co-workers. Even though you are coping with cancer, and actually receiving the medicines or having the surgery, friends, co-workers and family go through the treatments as well. Spouses or partners can sympathetically suffer the same nausea or pain. Children and parents face uncertainty and fear, and co-workers and friends have to deal with crisis and interrupted schedules. Ask for help-everyone needs support. The system does not always crumble; but if it does, reinforce it or augment it.

Depression (Sadness)
Depression is sadness that happens in response to an event or due to changes in your body's chemistry. Depression is sadness that is greater than normal, lasts two weeks, and greatly impacts your daily life.

Distress (Anxiety)
Anxiety is a vague feeling of uneasiness, unpleasant feelings, or fear resulting from expecting some bad news or harm. Anxiety can happen to anyone. Persons with cancer who have had surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation may get anxious more easily than others. Anxiety and fear are common and normal feelings that patients have when coping with the diagnosis or treatment of cancer.

Disturbed Sleep (Insomnia)
Disturbed sleep is a change in your usual sleep pattern; and can range from insomnia or difficulty sleeping (the inability to either fall asleep or stay asleep) to hypersomnia (a problem staying awake when you want to and try to).

Family Meetings
Providing care for someone with health needs is more than a one-person job. You may need to ask friends, neighbors, and other family members to pitch in. Even if others do not provide direct care, the time that you spend in caregiving may impact their lives. For these reasons, holding a family meeting can be very useful to help meet the patient's needs and help others to understand the care situation and its impact on their lives.

Prevent Burnout: Self Care and Wellness Practice For Family Caregivers
It is critical to maintain your own health and well being. Proper diet, adequate sleep and regular exercise is important for all of us and more so for the family caregiver.

Time Management for the Busy Caregiver
Caregiving activities are often overwhelming and require much time of caregivers who have competing roles and are juggling multiple roles. Despite competing roles, caregivers have to manage their time to carry out the roles and maintain their own health. Time management occurs when priorities are set and things are compartmentalized.

Warning Signs of Caregiver Burnout
This tool helps the user recognize the warning signs of caregiver burnout.