What carers do

Every caring situation is different. What you need to do will vary depending on the situation and will usually change over time. It often involves a wide range of tasks and sometimes means that you need to learn a new range of skills.

Learn more about:

• Overview
• Medical care
• Practical support
• Financial matters
• Planning for the future
• Communicating with others
• Emotional support
• Long-distance caring

Overview

Below is a summary of some of the key tasks and skills that are often involved in caring.

Medical care

• Advocate for the person with cancer
• Work with the health care team
• Monitor and report symptoms and treatment side effects
• Keep records of appointments, test results and treatments
• Navigate the health care system, and Medicare and Centrelink payments
• Manage and give medicines

Practical support

• Look after the home, keeping it safe and comfortable
• Manage family responsibilities, such as caring for children or parents
• Provide transport to treatment
• Help with personal care
• Encourage exercise
• Prepare meals
• Do shopping
• Look after pets

Financial matters

• Help the person see a lawyer to make legal arrangements for the future, such as a will and advance care directive
• Ensure advance care directives are uploaded to myhealthrecord.gov.au and take witnessed copies with you to appointments
• Arrange for the person to get professional advice to help them manage the financial impact of cancer
• Talk about end-of-life plans

Emotional support

• Offer companionship
• Be an active non-judgemental listener
• Provide encouragement, comfort and understanding
• Arrange professional support if needed
• Keep family and friends up to date
• Negotiate care and responsibilities with others
• Talk about other things aside from cancer

Listen to our podcasts on Cancer Affects the Carer Too and How to Help Someone with Cancer