Download If Your Loved One Has Been Diagnosed with Cancer

If Your Loved One Has Been Diagnosed with Cancer
Introduction
When a loved one has a serious medical condition such as cancer, it can have a major impact on you and
other family members. The issues you have to deal with will be different depending on whether you’re
providing support for a spouse or partner, parent, sibling, child or other loved one. In particular, there
are special challenges when a child is diagnosed with cancer. You may suddenly have many new
responsibilities, such as:
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Providing care when the person with cancer is in treatment or feeling ill;
Providing transportation, going to appointments or spending time at the hospital;
Taking on additional responsibilities at home; and
Dealing with financial issues.
You may also be:
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Coping with your own feelings about the cancer diagnosis and the future;
Coping with your loved one’s emotional response to the diagnosis;
Coping with other family members’ emotional response to the diagnosis, which may include
helping children understand a parent’s, grandparent’s or sibling’s cancer diagnosis; and
Dealing with family dynamics if family members have different opinions or if there are tensions
in your family.
How this Guide Can Help
This Cancer Resource Guide focuses on some of the things you and your loved one may need to think
about soon after diagnosis. It’s intended to help you find the information you need, understand the
employer-sponsored benefits and programs available to help you deal with your loved one’s cancer and
recommend reliable sources of information. We encourage you to gather information and take the time
to help your loved one consider different options based on his or her unique situation, needs and
preferences.
How much or how little you say and do to help your loved one will depend on the relationship between
the two of you, how open your loved one is to your help and advice and whether other family members
or friends are available to help. Much of the information included in the previous section of this Guide
(“If You’ve Been Diagnosed with Cancer”) will be helpful for you to share.
One of the first steps you can take is to help your loved one gather information from reliable sources
such as websites and organizations listed in this document. You can encourage your loved one to talk to
his/her doctors and consider all reasonable options before making a decision.
If you have a child with cancer, you’ll have special responsibilities and concerns, which are addressed in
the section below entitled "Your Child Has Been Diagnosed With Cancer."
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A Note on Accessing Cancer
Information on the Internet
You should use caution when
accessing information on the
Internet, from blogs or on
message boards. Some of this
information may be misleading or
incorrect. Throughout this Guide,
we provide links to quality
sources that provide accurate,
evidence-based information.
Your employer will want to support you during this challenging
time. You have a new set of issues to address: dealing with your
loved one’s cancer, providing support and possibly taking on
caregiver responsibilities. Your employer may offer a range of
employee benefits and programs intended to help you. Human
resources department employees are available to answer
questions about your benefits and other programs that may
help you and your loved one during this time. They can discuss
options with you to help you continue working and plan for
absences from work to care for a loved one.
When People Offer Advice or Help You Don’t Want
Sometimes people offer help you don’t want or need. Thank them for their concern. Tell
them you’ll let them know if you need anything.
Sometimes people may offer unwanted advice. They may do this because they don’t know
what else to say. It’s up to you to decide how to deal with this. You don’t have to respond at
all. Otherwise, thank them and let it go.1
Making Treatment Decisions
It’s understandable to want to start treatment right away, but it’s important to know that in most cases
it’s all right to take some time before making a decision and starting treatment. In most cases, there is
time to get a second opinion, consider all the options and make an informed decision without feeling
rushed. Your loved one can ask the doctor who found the cancer if it’s important to start treatment right
away or if it’s safe to take some time to get a second opinion. It’s not at all unusual to get a second
opinion, so most doctors will be open to the request.2 In fact, the doctor may be able to recommend
someone. It’s important to get a second opinion from a doctor who specializes in the kind of cancer that
your loved one has.
Getting a second opinion is an especially good idea if your loved one is uncertain about his or her doctor
or the proposed treatment. In general, someone with cancer should consider getting a second opinion
when:2
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They want to be sure they’ve explored all options.
They think their doctor underestimates how serious their illness is.
Their doctor doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong with them.
They have a rare or unusual cancer.
They want to know if there may be other treatment options.
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Their insurance plan requires it.
Or they just aren’t comfortable with their current doctor or the proposed treatment.
If your loved one decides to get a second opinion, medical records, original X-rays, pathology slides and
test results can be sent to this doctor. It may also be possible to take copies of the records to the new
doctor at the time of the visit. Often, the results of tests that have already been performed can be sent
to the second doctor, so they don’t need to be repeated.2
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has developed cancer treatment guidelines for
doctors that cover most cancers. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®)
describe treatment options that are based on scientific evidence and the consensus of experts in that
type of cancer. Several of these Guidelines are available in a format that makes the information easy for
patients and their families to understand. NCCN Guidelines for Patients® can be found at
http://www.nccn.org/patients. These Guidelines can be used to better understand the diagnosis and
discuss treatment options with the doctor.
Reliable information about specific kinds of cancer can also be found on these websites:
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American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/Treatment
American Society of Clinical Oncology: http://www.cancer.net
National Cancer Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health): http://www.cancer.gov
NCCN for patients and others: http://www.nccn.org/patients
Cancer-specific websites, such as leukemia and lymphoma (http://www.lls.org); breast
cancer (http://www.breastcancer.org); and lung cancer (http://www.lung.org/lungdisease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html)
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Clinical Trials
Your loved one's oncologist may suggest receiving treatment as part of a clinical trial. In a clinical
trial, a new treatment is compared to the best current treatment to find out if the new treatment
might be better.2 New, effective cancer treatments are available because other people have been
willing to take part in clinical trials in the past. Your loved one can ask their doctor about clinical
trials that might be available to treat his or her condition. If your loved one is considering being part
of a clinical trial, it’s important to check with their health plan to make sure their treatments will be
paid by insurance.
Resources on Clinical Trials:
National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials
Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups: http://www.cancertrialshelp.org/
Understanding Your Loved One’s Health Plan
If your loved one is covered by your health plan, you can help by making sure you understand what’s
covered. If your loved one has different insurance and accepts your offer to help, you can find out as
much as possible about what it covers. If your elderly parent has cancer, you can find out about what’s
covered in his or her Medicare plan by going to http://www.medicare.gov/ if they have a traditional
Medicare plan. If they have a Medicare Advantage plan, you will need to check with the organization
that is responsible for that plan.
It’s important to know which doctors and hospitals are in the health plan network. If doctors or hospitals
that are not in the network are used, you /your loved one will probably have to pay more of the costs.
How much you or your loved one will be responsible for paying is just one thing that you will need to
consider. If treatments, physicians or hospitals aren’t covered by the health plan, it may mean that you
or your loved one may need to pay more than you can afford. Even during this difficult time, it’s all right
to think about what you or your loved one can afford. In fact, it’s necessary and important to consider
cost and be realistic when making treatment decisions. You may want to check your loved one’s benefits
website or summary plan description to learn about copayments and coinsurance.
If the loved one with cancer is a child, it is just as important to know what is covered under the plan in
which your child is a dependent. Some plans will approve treatment at a non-network cancer center if
the care your child needs isn’t available from network providers. Contact your health plan to request an
exception, if necessary.
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As you review the health plan benefits, be sure to understand what you/your loved one will be
responsible for. Information may be printed on the ID card, or you can call your health plan to find out.
In particular, look for information about the following:
 Deductible: The amount that will have to be paid toward medical expenses before the plan
starts to pick up the costs.
 Copayment: A fixed amount paid for a service, such as $20 for each office visit or $100 for an
emergency room visit.
 Coinsurance: A percent of the costs that has to be paid, such as 20% of eligible charges. Note
that a larger portion of the cost will have to be paid if you choose to receive treatment from
physicians or hospitals that are not in the health plan network.
 Out-of-pocket maximum: The highest amount that will have to be paid, annually, before the
plan covers costs in full. There may be a higher out-of-pocket maximum if doctors and hospitals
not in your network are used.
 Exclusions: Medical treatments or medications that the plan doesn’t cover.
 Notification or prior authorization requirements: Specific services – such as hospital admissions,
certain tests and drugs – that require you or your loved one, the doctor or hospital to notify the
plan before services can be received. Some services, such as transplants, may require treatment
by a “preferred provider” or at a “center of excellence” in order to receive the highest amount
of coverage.
Encouraging Your Loved One to be an Empowered Patient--and Why it Matters
Not so long ago, being a patient meant passively accepting what the doctors said and not asking too
many questions. Thankfully, this has changed. Being an empowered patient means actively participating
in the choices being made with the health care team. You can encourage your loved one to take more
control over his or her situation and be an empowered patient.
Everyone has different preferences about being in control and making decisions for themselves. Don’t
assume that your loved one wants you to take charge. It’s important to ask your loved one how much he
or she wants you to be involved. For example, do they want the family to make decisions, does the
loved one want to talk things through with certain family members, or does the individual want to make
his or her own decisions? For some people, having an active role increases the feeling of being in
control of their lives and provides peace of mind.
It’s important to be open to talking about whatever issues your loved one wants to discuss, even if it
might make you uncomfortable. You may not want to talk about the possibility that your loved one will
die, but it may be very important to your loved one to be able to have an open and honest conversation
about these difficult subjects.
How You Can Help
Caregiving responsibilities fall into three categories: medical, emotional and practical. Your ability to
provide care will depend not only on your relationship with the patient, but on whether he/she wants
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your help and whether you live nearby or far away. If you are available, there are a number of practical
things you can do on a regular basis to ensure that your loved one is making the most of appointments
with doctors and other members of the health care team.
All of these suggestions are applicable for both children and adults. If children are old enough, they can
participate in an age-appropriate way.
1. You can help by keeping track of appointments and ensuring that information is organized. Use
a notebook, folders or a three-ring binder to organize information about diagnosis, treatments
and other issues. Keep a notebook or calendar to track appointments, what treatments are
scheduled and have been received and whom your loved one can contact with questions or
problems between appointments.
If you need to speak with your loved
2. If your loved one wants you to come to
one’s doctor when he/she isn’t
appointments, make sure that all questions are
present, you will need to have the
answered in words that both of you can
patient’s permission (unless the
understand. You can offer to write down the
patient is your child). The patient can
answers so your loved one can concentrate on
sign a consent form specifically for
listening. It may be easier to discuss options and
that purpose.
feelings if you’ve both heard the same
information. You can also ask the doctor if you
can record the discussion so you can both listen to it later.
3. When your loved one prepares to talk with the doctor about treatment options, you can
encourage him or her to think about what will be important both during treatment and after
completing it. This may include a discussion of financial issues.
4. If your loved one may want to have children in the future, encourage him or her ask about what
can be done to help ensure that will be possible. Once your loved one decides what treatment
plan to pursue, be supportive of that choice.
5. Make sure your loved one knows when to call the doctor, such as for a high fever, and what
both of you should do if a problem occurs after regular office hours. More important, find out
what your loved one can do to help prevent emergency situations. You may be able to help him
or her follow that advice.
6. Encourage your loved one to be honest about how he or she is feeling, both physically and
emotionally, and be sure that information is shared with the doctor.
 If your loved one seems to be in pain, is unusually tired or experiencing other
symptoms, speak up. More often than not, doctors can treat symptoms and side effects
and suggest ways to control or reduce them.
 If you think your loved one is feeling anxious or depressed, make sure that the doctor
knows that and connects your loved one with providers who can address those issues.
When someone with cancer is depressed, it can be harder to follow the treatment plan
and recover. It’s very common for people with cancer to experience depression and
anxiety. It’s important to acknowledge it and get help.
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7. Be sure that your loved one tells the doctor about all of the medications he or she is taking. This
includes prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, supplements, herbal products and
vitamins. Some of these products can interfere with treatment. You may be able to help by
pulling that information together and writing it down. Make sure your loved one understands
and follows instructions for taking medications, comes to all scheduled appointments and uses
recommended self-care techniques.
8. Help your loved one gather information about any family history of cancer or other diseases and
share that information with the doctor. Information about family history and cancer risk can be
found in the document called Cancer Risk.
9. If needed, provide physical care based on your ability to do so.
10. Consider setting up a page on a website such as http://www.CaringBridge.org to allow people to
follow your loved one’s progress and leave messages. This will reduce calls and questions you
and your loved one may not be up to handling.
11. Provide emotional support. Sometimes just being there to listen and not giving advice is what
the person needs. Avoid being judgmental about your loved one’s feelings and concerns. Avoid
being discouraging or being overly upbeat about the situation. Let your loved one be your guide.
12. Find out about support groups for your loved one, if he or she is interested. They can be helpful
both during treatment and after active treatment ends. Find out about support groups for
caregivers, too.
13. Ask other family members and friends for help with practical tasks, such as transportation,
preparing meals, doing laundry or helping with children or adult family members that your loved
one is responsible for. This is a good time to let go of some responsibilities and let others help!
More information and suggestions about being an empowered patient can be found at these sources:
 American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org or call 1-800-2272345
 LIVESTRONG Foundation: http://www.livestrong.org or call 1-855-220-7777
 Cancer Care: http://www.cancercare.org or call 800-813-HOPE (4673)
 The Cancer Support Community: http://www.cancersupportcommunity.org or call 1-888-7939355
 Caring Bridge: http://www.CaringBridge.org
 Information about managing pain and other symptoms and side effects is also found in NCCN
Guidelines for Patients: http://www.nccn.org/patients
 Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
 If you have young children, you may be interested in practical tips on how to help a child when a
parent is sick. Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child When a Parent is Sick by Paula K. Rauch, MD,
is available online and in some bookstores.
Questions for Your Loved One to Ask the Doctor
1. What kind of cancer do I have?
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2. What stage is my cancer? What does the stage mean for the treatment I’ll need and my prognosis
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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(how am I likely to do)?
What are my treatment options? What are the pros and cons of the different options?
Will this treatment make it difficult or impossible for me to have children (if relevant)? If so, what
can be done to give me the best chance of being able to have children after completing treatment?
Are there treatment options that will allow me to have a good quality of life, continue working and
participate in other activities that are important to me?
These activities are important for my work or personal satisfaction both during treatment and after
treatment ends. (Identify what is important for you to be successful in your work and what activities
you enjoy outside of work.) Will the proposed treatment make it difficult or impossible for me to do
these activities? If so, are there other treatment options available? Will choosing a different
treatment change my outcome?
Should I consider being treated as part of a clinical trial?
What changes do I need to make in my life (work, activities, diet, etc.) because of my cancer and
cancer treatments?
What can I do to feel as well as possible during treatment and recovery?
Other resources for helping you prepare a list of questions to ask your doctor and/or others:

American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org (search on "Questions to Ask Your
Doctor")
 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO): http://www.cancer.net (search on "Questions
to Ask Your Doctor")
 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN): http://www.NCCN.com
WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/cancer (search on "Questions to Ask Your Doctor")
Your Child Has Been Diagnosed with Cancer
Finding out that your child has cancer – regardless of the child’s age – is especially difficult. If you have a
young child, you’ll have a great deal of responsibility for making plans and decisions. If your child is an
adolescent or younger, it’s especially important to make sure that he or she is seen by a doctor that
specializes in treating childhood cancers (a pediatric hematologist/oncologist). If surgery is required, it’s
critical to find a surgeon who specializes in pediatric surgery of the type your child needs. This may
require you and your child to travel to a city where these specialized services are available, such as at a
large children’s hospital or a cancer center that treats children.
Your child’s pediatrician and the specialist your child will be seeing should be able to give you
information about organizations that help children with cancer and their families. For example, many
children’s hospitals are located near a Ronald McDonald House, which provides low-cost or free housing
and services to seriously ill children and their families. In fact, some employers may cover travel and/or
travel expenses under certain circumstances.
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It’s also important for you to choose a treatment plan with the expectation that your child will have a
long life ahead. Improvements in the treatment of many kinds of childhood cancer have led to more
children being cured. However, these treatments can have serious side effects, so it’s important for you
to understand all the treatment options and how each option is likely to affect your child.
One reason more children with cancer are surviving is that children are treated in clinical trials. Before
your child is enrolled in a clinical trial, you (and your child, if he or she is old enough) will need to sign an
“informed consent” form that explains your child’s rights, options and the potential risks and benefits of
being in the clinical trial. Your child’s doctor or a member of the doctor’s staff will discuss the form with
you in detail. You should be sure to get answers to all your questions before making a decision about
your child’s treatment.
Resources
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/Treatment
National Childhood Cancer Foundation: http://www.curesearch.org
Ronald McDonald House Charities: http://www.rmhc.com/what-we-do/ronald-mcdonald-house/
Clinical Trials for Children
Your child’s doctor may suggest that your child receive treatment by being part of a clinical trial. In
a clinical trial, a new treatment is compared to the best current treatment to find out if the new
treatment might be better. New, more effective treatments are available because children like
yours have taken part in clinical trials in the past. You can ask your child’s doctor about clinical trials
that might be available to treat your child’s condition. Not all health plans cover services that are
provided as part of a clinical trial. If your loved one is considering being part of a clinical trial, it’s
very important to check with their health plan to make sure their treatments will be paid by
insurance.
Resources
National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials
Children’s Oncology Group: http://www.childrensoncologygroup.org/
Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups: http://www.cancertrialshelp.org/
Understanding your child’s health plan
If your child is covered by your health plan, you should make sure you understand what’s covered. If
your child is covered by a different plan, you should find out as much as possible about what it covers.
It’s important to know which doctors and hospitals are in the health plan network. If doctors or hospitals
that are not in the network are used, you will probably have to pay more of the costs. Some plans will
approve treatment at a non-network cancer center if the care your child needs isn’t available from
network providers. Contact your health plan to request an exception. You may want to check the
benefits website or summary plan description to learn about copayments and coinsurance.
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As you review the health plan benefits, be sure to understand what you will be responsible for. In
particular, look for information about:
 Deductible: The amount you will have to pay toward their medical expenses before your plan
starts to pick up the costs.
 Copayment: A fixed amount you pay for a service, such as $20 for each office visit or $100 when
you go to the emergency room.
 Coinsurance: A percent of the costs you will have to pay, such as 20% of eligible charges. Note
that you may have to pay a larger portion of the cost if you use providers that are not in your
network.
 Out-of-pocket maximum: The highest amount you will need to pay, annually, before your plan
covers your costs in full. You may have a higher out-of-pocket maximum if you use doctors and
hospitals that are not in your network.
 Exclusions: Medical treatments or medications that your plan doesn’t cover.
 Notification or prior authorization requirements: Specific services – such as hospital admissions,
certain tests and drugs – that require you, your doctor or hospital to notify the plan before you
receive the services. Some services, such as transplants, may require you to be treated by a
“preferred provider” or at a “center of excellence” in order to receive the highest amount of
coverage.
On a day to day basis, there are a number of practical things you can do to make the most of
appointments with your child’s doctors and other members of the health care team. If your child is old
enough, he or she can take an age-appropriate role in this process.
1. Keep track of appointments and information and keep things organized. Use a notebook, folders
or a three-ring binder to organize information about diagnosis, treatments and other issues.
Keep a notebook or calendar to track appointments, what treatments are scheduled and have
been received and whom you can contact with questions or problems between appointments.
2. Write down all the questions you and your child want to ask the doctor.
3. Make sure you get answers to all of your questions at your child’s appointments with the
doctor. You can consider asking someone else to come along to appointments and write down
the answers so you can concentrate on listening. It may also be easier for you to discuss options
and feelings with that person if you’ve both heard the same information. You can also ask your
doctor if you can record the discussion so you can listen to it later.
4. When you prepare to talk with the doctor about treatment options, think about what will be
important for your child both during treatment and after completing treatment. Your child may
want to have the option of having children in the future. Depending on your child’s age and sex,
there may be options available to make it more likely that your child can have children some
day. Be sure to talk about this before treatment is started if the doctor doesn’t bring it up.
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5. Find out when you should call your child’s doctor right away, such as for a high fever, and what
you should do if a problem occurs after regular office hours. More important, find out what you
can do to help prevent emergency situations.
6. Be honest with your child’s doctor about how your child is feeling, both physically and
emotionally.
 If your child is in pain, unusually tired or experiencing other symptoms, don’t assume
that it’s OK. More often than not, doctors can treat symptoms and side effects and
suggest ways to control or reduce them.
 If you think your child is feeling anxious or depressed, make sure that the doctor knows
that and helps your child get care.
7. Tell the doctor about any medications your child is taking. This includes prescription drugs, overthe-counter medications, supplements, herbal products and vitamins. Some of these products
can interfere with treatment.
8. Make sure you understand and follow instructions for giving your child medications, keep all of
his or her scheduled appointments and use recommended techniques to provide care at home.
9. Gather information about any family history of cancer or other diseases and share that
information with the doctor. Information about family history and cancer risk can be found in
the section on cancer risk in this document.
10. Take advantage of support programs and services for your child – and for yourself. Support from
family members, friends and others who have had similar experiences can help people feel
more in control. You may also find support within your faith community.
11. Consider setting up a page on a website such as http://www.CaringBridge.org to allow people to
follow your child’s progress and leave messages. This will reduce calls and questions you and
your loved ones may not be up to handling.
12. Ask other family members and friends for help with things like transportation, preparing meals,
laundry or help with other children. This isn’t the time to try to do everything yourself. This is a
good time to let go of some things and let others help!
Resources for Parents of a Cancer Patient
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American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerinchildren or call 1-800-2272345
American Childhood Cancer Organization: http://www.acco.org/
Caring Bridge: http://www.CaringBridge.org
Children’s Oncology Group: http://www.childrensoncologygroup.org (Offers a Family Handbook)
National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/childhoodcancers
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/managingyourcancer/newlydiagnosed/childhoodcanc
er
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation http://www.pbtfus.org/
Ronald McDonald Houses http://www.rmhc.com/what-we-do/ronald-mcdonald-house/
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Questions to Ask the Doctor about Your Child
1. What kind of cancer does my child have?
2. What are my child’s treatment options? What are the pros and cons of the different options?
3. Will this treatment make it difficult or impossible for my child to have children? What can be done
to give my child a chance of being able to have children some day?
4. Are there treatment options that will allow my child to have a good quality of life and participate in
other activities that are important to him/her?
5. These activities are important to my child. (Identify what is important for your child.) Will the
proposed treatment make it difficult or impossible for my child to participate in these activities in
the future? If so, are there other treatment options available? Will choosing a different treatment
change the outcome of his/her treatment?
6. Should I consider having my child participate in a clinical trial?
7. What can I do to help my child feel as well as possible during treatment and recovery?
Other resources for helping you prepare a list of questions to ask your doctor and/or others:
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org (search on "Questions to Ask Your Doctor")
 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN): http://www.nccn.org/patients
Being a Caregiver
Looking after yourself
Caregiving can be a positive experience. But even when it’s mostly positive, it can still be stressful and
both physically and emotionally draining. Therefore, it’s important to look after yourself so you can
continue to be of help to your loved one. Even if it's not easy to follow advice about taking care of
yourself, it’s important to try.
Below are some suggestions of ways you can take care of yourself. They are adapted from Caregiving
for Your Loved One with Cancer:3, 4
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Stay healthy: You can do this by staying active; eating well; getting enough sleep, rest and
relaxation, and keeping up with your health care needs, such as check-ups, screenings and
medications. Your employer may offer resources to help you stay healthy, like an on-site
fitness center, walking trails, or a health coach.
Get emotional support: You may feel some or all of these emotions: guilt, anger, sadness,
worry and discouragement. These feelings are normal. Joining a support group with other
caregivers can help you cope by talking, listening and sharing advice with others who
understand and share your situation. Support groups are available at many hospitals and
online. Your EAP may also be able to help you find the resources you need.
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Organize help from others: Family members, friends, neighbors or co-workers might be
willing to share the responsibilities if they become too much for you – or better yet, before
they become too much for you.
Be aware of your limits: Make sure to take a break to recharge from time to time.
Family Medical Leave: Options for Caregivers who Need Time Off
If your responsibilities as a caregiver make it difficult to continue working your usual hours and paid
time off or vacation time are unavailable or have been used up, there is another option that may help.
Family Medical Leave (FML) allows employees to take time off from work without risk of losing their job
or benefits under specific conditions. However, in most states, FML is unpaid leave. For information on
whether you qualify and whether this is a good option for you, contact your HR department.
You can also get help from your EAP. The EAP can provide direct services or refer you to other resources
that can assist with issues such as:
 Coping strategies, anxiety and depression for both you and your family ;
 Community resources, such as support groups, transportation assistance and even nursing;
home options for an elderly family member who can no longer live at home;
 Referral to legal and financial information services; and
 Issues in the workplace.
Resources
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/caregivers
CancerCare: http://www.cancercare.org/tagged/caregiving or call 800-813-HOPE (4673)
Family Caregiver Alliance: http://www.caregiver.org or call 800-445-8106
National Family Caregivers Association: http://nfcacares.org or call 800-896-3650
Well Spouse Association: http://wellspouse.org
National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping/caring-for-the-caregiver
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References
1.
2.
3.
4.
National Cancer Institute. Who is a caregiver?
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping/caring-for-the-caregiver. Accessed March 30,
2012.
American Cancer Society. Find support and treatment. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment.
Accessed May 29, 2013.
CancerCare. Caring advice for caregivers: How can you help yourself?
http://www.cancercare.org/publications/47caring_advice_for_caregivers_how_can_you_help_yourself. Accessed May 31, 2013.
CancerCare. Caring for your loved one with cancer. http://www.cancercare.org/publications/1caregiving_for_your_loved_one_with_cancer. Accessed May 31, 2013.
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