How to Care for Someone with Colon Cancer

Often, caring for someone with cancer can be as hard mentally and emotionally as dealing with the cancer itself. Helping someone through diagnosis and treatment can be difficult. With colon cancer, the majority of cases are caught in the later stages of malignant growth, so caring can be especially difficult.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access

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Instructions

• 1

  Prepare for the unfortunate. While colon cancer is most common in people over the age of 50, several risk factors may cause the disease to begin much earlier. Discuss with your partner now how he or she will want to be cared for if living with colon cancer becomes a reality. Working these things out as early as possible after a cancer diagnosis will lessen the stress later.

• 2

  Learn how to provide proper care. As the patient's condition worsens, bathing, dressing, feeding, grooming and using the toilet will become increasingly difficult. Study techniques or discuss with a doctor proper methods for aiding someone with these everyday tasks.

• 3

  Ask for help if you need it. Never be afraid to admit you can't handle everything by yourself. As the person you care for takes up more of your time, you may not have the energy to deal with the household duties. Share responsibility with other family members or hire a nurse, housekeeper or babysitter for assistance.

• 4

  Maintain a positive outlook. The patient is likely experiencing fear, anxiety and depression. Offering words of comfort and hope can help assuage the patient's negative emotions, though you don't want to invalidate his or her true feelings.