These resources provide information for caregivers on coping, taking care of yourself, managing cancer care, caring for someone with cancer, and communication.
Last updated: August 2022
- Self-Care: Meditation and Relaxation
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Videos to promote relaxation and reduce stress
- Guided Imagery Meditation from YouTube (11 minutes)
- Deep Breathing Exercise from YouTube (14 minutes)
- Mindfulness Meditation from YouTube (11 minutes)
Meditation Apps
- Healthy Minds Program a free meditation app.
- Head Space a meditation app that is $12.99/month or $69.99/year, offers 1 week free trial.
- American Cancer Society - Caregivers
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The Interactive Caregiver Resource Guide (detailed booklet - available online or downloadable/printable) from the American Cancer Society provides general information about being a caregiver; caregiver self-care; communication; general information about cancer and cancer treatment; information on advance directives and living wills; facing the end of life; patient nutrition; coping; and caregiving resources.
If You’re About to Become a Cancer Caregiver
How to Communicate as a Caregiver provides information on how to talk to the patient and the medical team, attending medical appointments with the patient, understanding new medicines, and family meetings.
Helping Children When a Family Member Has Cancer includes information on dealing with a cancer diagnosis, dealing with treatment, dealing with recurrence or progressive illness, dealing with a parent's terminal illness, and when a child has lost a parent.
Making Health Decisions as a Cancer Caregiver
Understanding the Cancer Experience When You’re a Caregiver
The Caregiver Support Video Series provides caregivers with educational support as they assist with the everyday needs of cancer patients and self-care techniques to improve caregiver’s quality of life. Within this link you will find videos on:
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Care Training: Drain Care, lifting, pain management, medication management, managing constipation, managing diarrhea, managing fatigue, managing mouth problems, managing nausea and vomiting, and signs of Infection.
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Caregiver Self-Care: healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, fear of recurrence and relaxation.
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Advocacy: Communication
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Caregiver Stories
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- National Cancer Institute – Caregivers
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When Someone You Love Is Being Treated for Cancer (detailed booklet - available online or downloadable/printable) provides general information about being a caregiver; adjusting to being a caregiver; caring for your mind, body and spirit; talking with the health care team; talking with family, children and friends; life planning; Caregiver’s Bill of Rights; and resources.
Coping with Being a Cancer Caregiver
- National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
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The Caring for the Caregiver Podcast (1 hour and 14 mins) was developed specifically to provide resources and support for cancer caregivers to help them address the issues they face on an ongoing basis.
The Cancer Survival Toolbox is a free audio program that was created by leading cancer organizations to help people develop skills to better meet and understand the challenges of cancer. Covers a variety of topics such as communication, finding information, and making decisions.
- Creating a Website to Stay Connected with Friends and Family
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Sometimes it can become overwhelming updating friends and family about your loved one’s cancer. These websites can help you share health updates and allow friends and family to volunteer to help with certain tasks such as driving your loved one to appointments or getting groceries.
- A free online tool for sharing health updates with family and friends.
- Family and friends can react to your entries and leave encouraging comments.
- Using the CaringBridge planner you can easily ask your community of family and friends to help with some of your caregiving tasks.
- Available as an app on iPhone and Android.
- A free online tool that can help you organize tasks that you need help with and requests to help from those within your support community.
- “Care Calendar” allows you to create and organize a schedule so that people in your community of support may sign up for tasks such as meal delivery and rides to appointments.
- Available as an app on iPhone and Android.
- A free online tool that allows you to coordinate volunteer activities including meals, transportation to medical appointments and other tasks.
- Post updates and information about your loved one.
- Provide a private space where community members can offer words of support and encouragement.
- Friends and family can schedule offers to give caregivers a break or to do something special for them.
- Caregiver Guides
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The Caregiver Guides are evidence-based informational resources developed by the GynOnc Family CARE Center for caregivers of patients with gynecologic cancer.
Practicing a Healthy Lifestyle as a Caregiver
Maintaining Your Health as a Caregiver