Giving medical and practical care

• Regular washing can help someone feel more comfortable and lift their mood. It may also help prevent infections. If you need help with bathing your loved one, talk to the public health nurse or community nurse. 
• Suggest that your loved one wears clothes that are easy to put on and take off.
• Ask about special devices to help with personal care, such as hair-washing trays. 
• Look for mobile services like beauticians and hairdressers. 
• Check with the hospital about suitable creams, shampoos and other skin-related products. Treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can sometimes make skin extra sensitive. 
• If your loved one finds it difficult to use the toilet or has problems with incontinence, tell the public health nurse, community nurse or GP. They may be able to arrange equipment or supplies like pads and protective bedding. 
• If your loved one is spending a lot of time in bed, or their balance or mobility is affected, they may be at risk of falling. Ask for advice on preventing falls and what to do if your loved one falls. You might hurt yourself or them if you try to lift them.

Ask the hospital doctors, nurses and other relevant healthcare professionals, such as the physiotherapist and dietitian, for advice on how to care for your loved one. Make sure you understand about any medication they need to take. If they need dressings for wounds, injections or other medical care, the nurses can advise you on what to do or where to go.

If you feel comfortable, the nurses will teach you how to give medical care. If not, they will explain what services are available in the community. For example, the family doctor (GP) or the community or public health nurse.

Often carers help with medication. Your loved one may have a lot of medications to take. Some may need to be taken regularly and others may be taken as they are needed. Here are some tips to help you.

• Talk to the healthcare team in the hospital so you understand the medication. Ask at the hospital for a printout with information about the medicine. You can also ask your local pharmacist. They can be a great help, especially if your loved one is on a complex medicine regime.
• Find a way to keep track of their medicines. For example, use a chart so you can write which pills/medicine they need every day and cross off when each dose has been taken. Or use a weekly pill box. You could also ask your pharmacist if they can pre-pack (‘blister pack’) medications for you. There may be a fee for this.
• Make sure your loved one doesn't run out of medication. 
• See if their local pharmacist has a home-delivery service. Or call ahead so that the medicines will be ready for you to collect.
• Ask their pharmacist about registering for the Drugs Payment Scheme. This limits the amount a person pays for prescribed medicines and medical equipment (appliances) every month.
• Keep the receipts for medical costs if your loved one will be claiming back expenses from their private health insurer or through their annual tax return.

Medical equipment

If your loved one needs medical equipment, such as a wheelchair or walker, speak to their hospital nurse, public health nurse, occupational therapist or the medical social worker at the hospital. They will advise you.

If your loved one is having side-effects as a result of their treatment, speak to the nurses and doctors in the hospital. There are medications and other treatments to help with many side-effects, which the hospital team can recommend. If one treatment doesn’t help, ask if there is something else your loved one can try.

Keep a record of any side-effects, so you have it for future reference.

We have information and tips on managing symptoms and side-effects during and after cancer treatment.

Visit our side-effects page

Let your loved one’s healthcare team know that you are their carer. You can share information about the patient that might be helpful to them, as long as your loved one is happy for you to do this.

Going to hospital appointments

Appointments may make your loved one very anxious, especially if test results or treatment decisions are going to be discussed. Try to go to appointments with your loved one. If the appointment is over the phone or by video call, stay in the room with them if you can.

• Write down any questions and worries you both have before the appointment, so that you don’t forget to ask them.
• Make notes of what the doctor says. This will help you to share information with the rest of the family or friends afterwards. Some doctors may be happy for you to record the meeting, but make sure you ask for their permission first.
• Time with the doctor is very important for your loved one. The doctor may be busy but try not to feel rushed. Make sure you and your loved one have asked all your questions before you leave.

Getting information

• Try to learn about your loved one’s cancer, treatments and possible side-effects and symptoms. Get to know some of the medical terms that the doctors and nurses use.
• Be careful with online information. It might be hard to understand or it might be incorrect. Also, the information may not really apply to your loved one’s situation or the particular cancer they have. Ask their doctor or nurse for recommended websites.
• Ask the person you are caring for if they would like you to be noted on their healthcare record for information-sharing purposes. There may be limits on how much information health and social care professionals can share with you about your loved one, especially if you are not a family member. If the person you care for would like professionals to share information with you, they should let the professionals know this. If written permission is needed, ask at the hospital how to do this. Keep a copy of the document for your own files.
• Write down any questions you have and bring them to hospital appointments so you can ask the medical team.

Get telephone numbers

Find out who is on the medical team and what help they can give you. For example, the consultant, registrar, specialist nurse, occupational therapist, medical social worker or physiotherapist.

Keep a record of their names and phone numbers. Ask the nurses in the hospital for a phone number in case you need to ask a question between appointments. Also write down who to call if your loved one becomes unwell at home or if they need out-of-hours care. Make sure the list of numbers is easily available so that anyone caring for your loved one knows where to find them.

Don’t be afraid to call

If you’re worried about your loved one’s health or if they’re troubled by a side-effect or symptom, let a member of their medical team know.

If your loved one needs to go into hospital urgently

Make sure they have everything they need for a stay in hospital, including any medicines they are taking (including non-cancer related ones). Have an overnight bag ready, packed with a few essentials. Let other carers and healthcare professionals know that your loved one is in hospital.