If your elderly parent has recently finished their lung cancer treatment, or is approaching the end of their lung cancer treatment, it is likely you have heard their doctor talk about a survivorship plan. This can be a very important part of their life after treatment, and as a family caregiver, you will play a critical role in helping them to develop it, as well as to carry it through.

Each element of a survivorship plan is designed to maximize the benefits of treatment, improve your parents health, maintain health, and help your parents make the most of their future years.  

As with other elements of your parent's experience with cancer, including their treatment, care, and management efforts, a survivorship plan will be a very personal to them. This survivorship plan is developed specifically to help your parent with their own individual health needs.

These care plans generally feature several elements, which can include: 

* A schedule for follow-up visit  

* A schedule for follow-up exams and tests, including early detection screenings 

* A schedule for follow-up evaluations to determine long-term effects of treatments your parents underwent, or the cancer itself 

* The side affects your senior might experience, and which ones you should look out for  

* Guidelines for how to effectively manage side effects, and when they warrant a visit to the doctor 

* Instructions for good lifestyle choices, such as dietary guidelines, exercise, germ control, and more that will help keep your parent healthier.  

Once your parent has a lung cancer survivorship plan in place, you can use it to create your care approach. Including elderly care in this phase as you did during treatment can continue to help your parent pursue a healthier, more satisfying, and more meaningful quality of life as they age in place.   

In your role as a family caregiver, you will need to use a wide variety of tools and resources to fulfill your parent's needs. One of the most important resources you can use is elderly care. Due to the completely customizable nature of elderly care, you can utilize this resource to fill whatever care gaps might exist in the care routine you already give your parent.

Whether your schedule is busy and you are unable to be with your parents as frequently as he would like to be, you have limitations that keep you from managing certain tasks, or you simply feel your parent would benefit from more diversified care, an elderly home care services provider can step in to manage these needs effectively and efficiently. As a family caregiver, this can give you peace of mind knowing your senior is able to live the highest quality of life both when you are caring for them directly, and when you are not.  

Sources:  https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/after-treatment/survivorship.html 

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Chicago IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.
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Elderly Care in Chicago IL

​June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day. PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a condition in which a person experiences severe emotional responses to a traumatic event for weeks, months, or even years after the event, and struggles to overcome them. While many people automatically think of military personnel when considering those who may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, the reality is there are far more people who may deal with this condition. PTSD can exist in anyone who has gone through a traumatic event such as:

​• Abuse
• Assault
• Home invasion
• Act of terrorism
• Natural disaster
• Severe illness
• Severe illness of a loved one
• Loss of a loved one

The impact of PTSD can be extensive and lingering, influencing your parent's health and their quality of life. If you are a family caregiver for someone who is suffering from this condition, it is important that you focus on ways that you can help them to manage it so that they can enjoy a safe, healthy, and comfortable life throughout their later years. In this situation, an elderly care provider can be an incredible source of support and care for your aging parent. This elderly home care services provider can create a customized approach to care designed with your parent's specific needs, including their PTSD, in mind so that they can handle them in the best way possible for them.

Some ways that you can help a parent who is dealing with PTSD include:

​• Educate yourself. It is easy to make assumptions about a condition when you are not familiar with it. Take the time to find out everything that you can about post-traumatic stress disorder, how it impacts the life of a person who is dealing with it, and ways that it might manifest. This way you are able to detect it when your parent is going through a difficult time and can manage it effectively.

​• Be there for them. Reassure your aging loved one that you are there for them. Make yourself available to talk about the traumatic event so that they can work through their emotions when they want to. Let them know that they are safe when they talk to you and that you will not judge them.

• Give them space. While you make yourself open and available to your loved one, it is important that you also be sure to give them the space that they need. They may not always want to talk about the event and pushing them will only worsen their emotional response to the situation. Allow them to process the event in their own time and talk about it when it is right for them.

​• Be prepared for anger. Withdrawal, anger, and even lashing out are common symptoms of PTSD. Prepare yourself for these symptoms. Choose to use "I feel" or "I think" statements rather than statements that may sound accusatory, such as "when you" or "because you". If you feel threatened in any way, know that you can walk away from the situation so that both of you can take some time to feel calmer. 

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/family/helping-family-member.asp

​If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Chicago, IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.