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100 Questions & Answers About Caring for Family or Friends with Cancer Spanish Version

Author(s): Susannah L. Rose, MSSW, PhD, Harvard University
Richard T. Hara, PhD, Director, Online Services, CancerCare, New York, New York
Details:
  • ISBN-13: 9780763740559
  • ISBN-10:0763740551
  • Paperback    223 pages      © 2005
Price: International Sales $22.95 US List
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Overview

Hay tantos como 9 millones de cáncer sobrevivientes en los Estados Unidos. Si usted es uno de la millona de personas que necesita -- o la necesidad -- sostener alguien por la prueba dura mental y física del cáncer, usted ahora tiene ayuda. Escrito por dos asistentees sociales profesionales del cáncer cuyo trabajo diario con pacientes en el Cáncer Conmemorativo de Sloan-Kettering las marcas Centrales ellos expertos en el campo, 100 Preguntas & las Respuestas acerca de Cuidar de la Familia o a Amigos con el Cáncer le dan la información usted necesita tomar este desafío. En el idioma claro, práctico mas compasivo, los autores les proporcionan las respuestas esenciales a preguntas comunes de cuidadores acerca de encontrar al médico y el tratamiento correctos, apoyo emocional y físico, los asuntos del seguro, las relaciones, encontrando el cuidado para el cuidador, y mucho más. Las puntas prácticas de estas "personas enteradas" profesionales proporcionan el consejo inapreciable para ayudar su adoró uno -- y usted -- por esta enfermedad espantosa.

ShowKey Features

Concise, easy-to-read paperback book

Provides both the patient and health professional’s perspective on the non-professional caregiver caring for a cancer patient

Written by an authoritative author team

Practical answers to your questions about treatment options, quality of life, caregiving, sources of support, and much more

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ShowTable of Contents

Introduction

Part 1. The Basics
Questions #1–6 cover the background topics in cancer caregiving:

  • What is cancer? How is it treated?
  • How do I offer to help a person with cancer?
  • What does it mean to be a “caregiver”?

Part 2. Managing Medical Treatment and Care
Questions #7–26 discuss the complex medical issues surrounding cancer treatment:

  • We have met so many people involved in my wife’s care. Who are all these people, and what do they do?
  • Who is the best doctor to treat this cancer? How do I find that doctor?
  • Where can I find reliable information about cancer?

Part 3. Helping your Loved One Cope
Questions #27-39 explore the emotional and physical challenges you may encounter while caring for a loved one with cancer:

  • I feel as though our lives have been out of control since my partner was diagnosed with cancer. How can we regain control of our lives?
  • I have heard that “positive thinking” can help cure cancer. Does this mean I should discourage my wife from thinking negatively?
  • How do I help my loved one better manage the emotional “ups” and “downs”?

Part 4. Caring for Yourself
Questions #41–53 describe specific techniques for coping with cancer:

  • Am I getting “burned out?” What are the signs and how do you prevent caregiver burnout?
  • What are support groups and how can they help me? If I decide to try out a group, how do I locate one right for me?
  • Despite the fact that my son was diagnosed with cancer almost two months ago, I constantly think about his cancer and feel down much of the time. What should I do? Would counseling help?

Part 5. Relationship and Family Issues
Questions #49-69 provide tips on handling relationship and family issues that arise during cancer treatment:

  • How can I be “strong” and supportive with my spouse while continuing to cope with my own reactions to this diagnosis?
  • I feel that my husband and I are growing apart since his cancer diagnosis. Why is this happening?
  • The doctor told me some news about my mother’s cancer; should I tell her? Wouldn’t it be better not to tell her and avoid upsetting her?
  • How do we tell the children about the cancer?

Part 6. Home Care, Medical Equipment, Placement, and Other Practical Matters
Questions #70–75 provide practical tips on handling outpatient care issues:

  • What is home care? What can we expect from home care after surgery and during other treatments?
  • What is a skilled nursing facility? How do you get in?
  • The doctors want my husband to get radiation therapy for the next six weeks, five days a week. I don’t drive, and I’m afraid my husband won’t feel well enough after his treatments to drive himself. How is he going to get back and forth from his treatments?

Part 7. Insurance Issues
Questions #76-82 discuss matters related to health insurance and financial aspects of cancer care:

  • How can we protect our family financially while being faced with expensive treatments for cancer?
  • What if the patient does not qualify for Medicaid?
  • Prescription drug coverage is getting so expensive, even though we have insurance. Is there anything I can do to reduce this expense?

Part 8. Work Concerns
Questions #83-88 explore the employment issues and disability that can face people with cancer:

  • What is the difference between Social Security Disability (SSD), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security (SS), and Public Assistance (Welfare)? How can a patient apply?
  • How should patients negotiate for sick leave or disability leave from work? Also, how do I negotiate for time-off from work to be with my family member for medical appointments and to help her at home?
  • Will my partner be able to continue working during radiation therapy and chemotherapy?

Part 9. Emotional Reactions & Practical Concerns about Death and Dying
Questions #89–99 describe reactions that a patient or caregiver might have when facing the dangers of cancer:

  • Is thinking about death bad luck? Although he doesn’t talk much about it, I know my husband has been thinking about death and dying since the doctors first suspected he might have cancer. How much is normal?
  • The doctors say that there is nothing more they can do to treat my wife’s cancer. What do I do now? Just give up?
  • Is making “quality of life” the goal going to shorten my husband’s life?

Part 10.  Resources and Suggested Reading
Question #100 contains a list of Websites, organizations, and literature to help cancer patients and their caregivers find additional resources on general and specific topics related to caregiving.

  • Where can I find more information?

Glossary
Index


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ShowAbout the Author(s)

Susannah L. Rose, MSSW, PhD-Harvard University

Susannah L. Rose, MSSW, PhD, BA [Philosophy and Psychology], Furman University, 1996; MS in Social Work, Columbia University,1998, MS [Bioethics], Albany Medical Center/Union College, 2006; PhD in Health Policy, Harvard University, 2010.

Ms. Rose worked at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City providing clinical services and conducting research for approximately eight years. At MSKCC, she specialized in clinical interventions for people with gastrointestinal cancers and their family members. She has recently completed her doctoral studies at Harvard University, specializing in health care policy and bioethics. She is the primary author on a book entitled 100 Questions and Answers About Caring for Family or Friends with Cancer, second edition, and she has written many other publications focusing on the psychosocial aspects of coping with cancer.

Additional Titles by this Author

Richard T. Hara, PhD-Director, Online Services, CancerCare, New York, New York

Richard T. Hara, Ph.D., is currently Director of Online Services at CancerCare, a non-profit organization providing education, counseling, and financial assistance to people affected by cancer all across the country. He has a doctorate in Cultural Anthropology from the City University of New York Graduate Center, with a research focus on family and household decision-making. He received his professional training in social work at Columbia University, and worked at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as a clinical social worker prior to joining CancerCare. Dr. Hara has written about cancer survivorship and caregiving, and has lectured and run training workshops at numerous professional conferences. The online caregivers support program at CancerCare was the recipient of the 2008 National Family Caregiving Award, presented by the MetLife Foundation and the National Alliance for Caregiving.

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ShowReviews

  • “…an authoritative, well-written, and easy to understand source of consumer health information…highly recommended for public libraries and consumer health information centers.”

    ––Stacey L. Knight-Davis
    Librarian, Eastern Illinois University
    E-Streams: Vol. 8, No. 4

    "The nature of medical care in the US today puts a new and extraordinarily heavy burden on the caregiver for a patient with cancer. Hospitalization is only for those with dire problems; all others are cared for at home by the anxious but conscientious relative or friend who is attempting to simultaneously be nurse, breadwinner, homemaker, often parent, while also meeting the patient's emotional needs. We are just beginning to realize the pressure on the caregivers and their need for information in an accessible form. This book is marvelous in its simplicity and its organization into sections that rapidly ask and answer the right questions. Kudos to the authors."

    --Jimmie C. Holland, MD
    Wayne E. Chapman Chair in Psychiatric Oncology
    Attending Psychiatrist, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

    "When a dear loved one or a close friend is diagnosed with cancer, your caring support can help ease them through one of life's most difficult experiences. Yet many people faced with this daunting task have their own fears and questions about how they can best provide such support. This superb book by Rose and Hara, written with tremendous insight, sensitivity and compassion, is a valuable resource that provides practical answers to guide you through one of life's most difficult challenges--caring for a family member or a friend with cancer."

    --W. Douglas Wong, MD
    Chief, Colorectal Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

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