You may be reading this because you are caring for someone with advanced cancer. What this means for you will depend on the situation. Caring for someone with advanced cancer can bring a sense of satisfaction, but it can also be challenging and stressful.
Learn more about:
Being a carer
As a carer your responsibilities usually increase as the disease progresses. Over time, you may need to help more with managing symptoms, providing personal care, preparing food and organising finances.
It’s important to look after your own physical and emotional wellbeing. Give yourself some time out and share your concerns with somebody neutral such as a counsellor or your doctor, or call Cancer Council 13 11 20. A wide range of support is available to help you with various practical and emotional needs.
Carers as part of the team
Family and carers play a key role in palliative care and are considered part of the team. You can work with the palliative care team to understand, and be included in, decisions about care and treatment.
The person you care for must give written consent (permission) for their doctors to talk with you about their care when they are not present.
This consent and your contact details should be formally recorded (written) in the person’s medical records case file. Also ask your health care team who you can contact in an emergency or after hours.
Palliative care aims to improve quality of life for both the person with cancer, and their family and carers. The palliative care team can suggest services to support you in your caring role. Carers can sometimes feel they are losing their identity as partner, child, sibling or friend to their caring role. They may also feel overwhelmed as they juggle work, their family and the person they are caring for. Accepting help from the palliative care team can mean you spend more quality time with the person you’re caring for.
Respite (short-term) care
Caring can be demanding and may affect your physical and emotional wellbeing. Respite care lets someone else take over caring for a while, so you can have a break. Some carers feel guilty or worried about leaving the person they are caring for. But by taking a break, you may be able to continue your caring role with more energy and enthusiasm.
You may want respite care for a couple of hours, overnight or several days. You can use respite care for any reason – perhaps to look after your own health, visit friends or family, or catch up on sleep. It can sometimes be given in your home, or the person may go to a respite care centre or residential aged care facility. Hospital and palliative care units (hospices) do not usually take people for respite care.
You may have to pay part or all of the cost of respite care. The fees will depend on the care provider, whether it is subsidised by the government, how long the care is for, and the type of care required.
It’s a good idea to find out about respite services before you actually need them. Talk to your doctor, social worker or the palliative care team about available services and how to access them. The Carer Gateway also has information on local carer support services, respite options and other support that may suit your needs. What respite care is available can vary depending on where you live. For information and to organise respite, call 1800 422 737 or visit carergateway.gov.au.
Counselling and support
Carers often feel a range of emotions and it’s normal for these to change often. Talking to a counsellor, psychologist or social worker may help you work through your worries and concerns, learn new ways to communicate, and cope with changes in your life.
Many cancer support groups and cancer education programs are open to carers as well as to people with cancer. Support groups and programs offer the chance to share experiences and ways of coping.
If the person you are caring for is nearing the end of their life, the palliative care team can help you understand what is happening and what happens next. This may include discussions about feelings of loss and grief, now and in the future.
Some carers may experience depression and/or anxiety. If you feel you are getting depressed or overly anxious, talk to your GP, another health professional or call Cancer Council 13 11 20. You may be eligible for grief and bereavement counselling through the palliative care team.
For practical, financial and emotional support, see Seeking support.
More information for carers
- See Caring for someone with advanced cancer, Living with advanced cancer and Facing end of life.
- Listen to The Thing About Advanced Cancer podcast episodes for carers.
- Find fact sheets and videos for carers at Palliative Care Australia. Topics include what is palliative care, managing symptoms, and caring for yourself.
Podcast: Caring for Someone with Advanced Cancer
Listen to more of our podcast for people affected by advanced cancer
More resources
Prof Meera Agar, Palliative Care Physician, Professor of Palliative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, IMPACCT, Sydney, NSW; Anne Booms, Nurse Practitioner, Palliative Care, Icon Cancer Centre Midlands, WA; Nicola Champion, Consumer; John Clements, Consumer; Dr Alexandra Clinch, Palliative Medicine Specialist and Deputy Director, Palliative Care, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC; A/Prof Jaklin Eliott, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, SA; Dr Jemma Gilchrist, Clinical Psychologist, Mind My Health, NSW; McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, VIC; Caitlin MacDonagh, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Palliative Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW; Dr Roya Merie, Radiation Oncologist, Icon Cancer Centre, Concord, NSW; Dr Deidre Morgan, Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying, Flinders University, SA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Palliative Care Australia.
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