Supporting Your Mom During Her Cancer Journey
Supporting Your Mom During Cancer
National Cancer Prevention Month falls in February. Many forms of cancer can be prevented or stopped when caught early. A colonoscopy can find colorectal cancer in the earliest stages while mammograms and breast ultrasounds detect the early stages of breast cancer. Encourage your mom to go for these tests. If your mom learns she has cancer, it’s time to rally the family and support her during tests, treatments, and recovery. Here are some of the things she will need the most.
Wound Care
Your mom’s doctor had to remove a cancerous lesion. For the most part, your mom seems to be okay, but she does have a large incision that needs to be cared for. Bandage changes, assessments of how well it’s healing, and cleaning treatments are important. If you’re not comfortable helping her with this, hire a skilled nurse for bandage changes and cleanings. If there are any early signs of infection, the nurse knows what to do.
IV Support
If your mom’s treatment plan includes chemo or radiation, she may feel pretty sick. Dehydration is a risk and her oncologist may recommend fluids through an IV. She can avoid a trip to the hospital or clinic and have the IV infusion completed at home. A skilled nurse can set up the IV line and make sure your mom is getting the fluids she needs. Medications that ease the nausea are also available and can be useful. The better she feels, the easier it is for her body to battle.
Crucial Measurements
Your mom’s oncology team likely wants her blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and oxygen saturation levels tracked. If something is off, it’s better to catch it as early as possible. A skilled nurse can track all of this and report it to her medical team. Decisions regarding the next steps can be taken as information is collected. Your mom may need a change in medications to help battle an infection when her immune system is weakened.
Schedule Skilled Nurses to Support Your Mom
Arrange to have skilled nursing care services to support her. Nurses can help your mom with care needs that would otherwise send her back to the hospital. If your mom needs her blood drawn for lab tests, nurses can do that in her home. Nurses can set up IV lines and administer any IV fluids or medications your mom’s doctor believes would help. Nurses can clean and bandage surgical incisions. It may even be possible for your mom to have her stitches removed in her home rather than having to return to the hospital.
Talk to your mom’s oncology team about her care needs when she comes home. Ask if skilled nursing care is an option and what care services are essential. From there, call and arrange skilled nursing care visits.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering In-Home Care in Carrolton, GA please contact the caring staff at Universal Home Care And Services, Inc today. (678) 426-2701
In 2012, I started my journey as a CNA at West Georgia Technical College and in 2014, I was hired by Universal Home Care as a CNA. I knew immediately this was a great company! Now, as the Office Manager, I may not get to see the clients we serve, but they all know I’m a phone call away to assist in any way I can! Allowing Universal to service you/your loved one is like working with a team/family who cares for, not only it’s clients but it’s employees! I’m a bi-product of the compassion this company shows!
“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving!”
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