I’m a big believer in taking chances when the risks seem reasonable and the odds are in my favor. I’m not much of a gambler. I don’t play the slots or cards, especially not for cash that should go to pay bills. But I also believe that when opportunity knocks, it’s okay to answer the door, even if you check the peep hole first. That’s why, when Cancer Treatment Centers of America asked me to their Blogger Summit, I agreed to go.
I’ll admit it. I’m very curious about what CTCA does differently. I’ve looked at the website several times now, but I’m still not sure what to expect.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Most patients travel for treatment. The regional centers have accommodations for patients and family. They also have things like laughter therapy, a hospital garden, a very impressive nutrition team, and so many other things that I believe can be therapeutic for cancer patients and their families.
What does CTCA do for family caregivers? That’s what I want to know. I have a theory that if you educate a family caregiver to take care of a patient with the best information and support, if you give that person the physical guidance and support he or she needs to help a loved one get through cancer treatment, there’s a far greater chance that the patient will comply with medications, nutritional intake, pain management, and stress reduction. But it’s more than just a bunch of social workers and nurses giving lectures in a hospital setting. It’s networking, hooking experienced caregivers up with newbies, offering insight and inspiration for everyday life. It’s a cup of coffee and a shoulder to cry on. It’s someone who understands that it’s frustrating not to be able to get everything done on a to-do list because there are so many priorities and everyday issues get kicked to the curb.
Every time I’ve checked on this hospital or that hospital, it seems like the caregiver education just isn’t available. There might be little meetings here and there, but no real concerted effort to hook caregivers up in a meaningful way that makes a real difference. You can talk about stress reduction all you want, but in a business that provides paid services, many health care providers would rather collect fees for fixing you than preventing you from breaking down in the first place, and that’s a shame, because many caregivers burn out too soon. Maybe CTCA is different. Maybe they have a structure that supports a caregiver outside the hospital setting. We’ll see. If they don’t, maybe they’re open to starting one.
What most medical people don’t understand about family caregiving is that it’s really not about medicine. It’s about people. What does it take to help another human being survive under difficult circumstances? How do you manage a household while helping a loved one undergo some of the most rigorous medical procedures available? Most family caregivers learn through the School of Hard Knocks, when mistakes are made. The longer you’re a caregiver, the more opportunities you’ve had to learn. Me? I should have a PhD. in caregiving. Lord knows I’ve seen my share of challenges. But I also believe that caregiving can be and should be taught.
If I could make one thing happen for family caregivers taking care of cancer patients it would be this — a study to determine if caregiver education can actually reduce mistakes and improve cancer patient outcome. I’m not talking about some touchy-feely, “gee-aren’t-we-swell” kind of study. I want to know if the right caregiver education can actually improve survival rates. Can we prevent unnecessary suffering and medical complications by teaching family caregivers to help manage care at home?
Sound crazy? Well, think of it this way. The greatest problem for most cancer patients isn’t that the cancer sneaks up on them overnight and steals their lives. It’s getting through the long haul. And to do that takes good medicine, good support, and good caregiving over time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and cancer isn’t cured instantly. There’s no magic wand.
I’ve heard so many family caregivers say they were terrified, didn’t know what to do, didn’t know where to turn for answers — not for the medical issues, because most health care providers are good at helping with that. No, what I hear most from family caregivers is they didn’t know how to get it all done — the “living with cancer” part of things.
Living with cancer is more than just those trips for treatment or the instructions on how to apply lotion to radiation burns. It’s about understanding what disease does to a person, to a family, changing the dynamics in so many ways. Up until that diagnosis of cancer, life seems simple, and after those words are spoken, it’s forever changed. That’s because you often feel you’re living in the shadows until those scans show no more evidence of the disease. Borrowed time and uncertainty seem to become the norm for many cancer families, and it’s really tough to cope with that on a daily basis for any length of time. If you’re not used to running and you suddenly enter a marathon, you will fail on so many levels and put yourself at serious risk. Training matters.
So, how does CTCA reach out to family caregivers in a meaningful way, above and beyond holding hands and commiserating with them? What education do they offer in terms of helping family caregivers organize daily life around cancer treatment and balance family needs, so that the cancer is not the focal point of every conversation?
Maybe this is an opportunity for me to spread the word about caregiver education and the benefits of really supporting the families. I believe that family caregivers actually have the ability, with the right training, to not only advocate for their loved ones, but to be the eyes and ears for the treatment team, but only if they understand that responsibility. In order to do that, family caregivers have to pay attention to the physical signs they see and they have to be able to communicate effectively with the health care providers. If I’m right, that cancer survival can be improved by educating family caregivers, it will be because patients and their families feel confident that it makes a difference to take a proactive stance when it comes to cancer. A good part of the resistance to that approach is always the fear that families have that it’s too late, the cancer’s too strong. If CTCA accepts patients who are motivated to fight a survivable cancer, and those patients have cancer caregivers with real tools to help them get through it, maybe this is a part of the new cancer treatment horizon, that survival depends on what’s done for the whole person, and the better the resources, the better the outcome. I’m looking forward to finding the answers.
For more help as a family caregiver, visit The Practical Caregiver Guides