While most people are familiar with the routes to treatment and regular screening checks provided by local NHS hospitals and specialist cancer units, few consider how the impacts of cancer, at any life stage, will affect their ability to cope at home, which is where professional at-home care can prove a lifeline.
We’ve put together this short guide to explain how home-based cancer care works, some of the many benefits, and how carers can help, whether you need assistance getting to and from appointments, keeping your home tidy and organised, or just having a friendly face to chat with.
Different Types of Cancer Care Support Available in Your Own Home
The right home care services will always depend on your wishes and preferences. Still, they can range from visiting care to help with domiciliary care, to rehabilitation and post-hospital recovery care, and more involved live-in or overnight care for care recipients who need more dedicated support.
Importantly, cancer care isn’t a standalone service. We often speak with family members and loved ones who wish to organise high-quality care for an older relative who may be suffering from dementia, and who will need empathetic support to help with nutrition, appointments and taking prescribed medications.
As an overview, families can structure their home care as follows:
- Visiting care makes it easier to maintain routines and focus on your health and well-being while protecting your right to live independently. Carers can visit as many times a week as necessary, with pre-arranged schedules so you know when a carer will be with you, and the tasks you’ve asked them to assist with.
- Respite care provides partners and family members with the peace of mind that, when they are unavailable or unwell, a qualified, kind carer will take over their caring responsibilities and ensure the recipient has continued support.
- Overnight and live-in care are organised around the specific needs of the individual, and mean a skilled carer is available overnight, or throughout the day. They work around agreed rest periods and provide companionship, personal care and support.
Guardian Angel Carers can also provide palliative and end-of-life care for people in the communities we serve who are not expected to recover, ensuring they and their families receive compassion and care to make the most of their quality time together.
What Support Services Can We Offer to Home Care Recipients Living With Cancer?
There is no prescribed care plan, because our clients always have autonomy over how and where we provide support. The primary aim of any professional carer is to protect the independence and well-being of the person, which means our CareAngels adapt to you.
For many families, help around the home is crucial, including at the start of a cancer journey when dealing with laundry, cleaning and cooking is simply too much to manage while they process the diagnosis and wait to discover what the next steps will be.
During treatments, carers can offer varied help, which might include:
- Practical help getting to and from hospital appointments
- Personal care support with washing and dressing
- Medication reminders and collecting prescriptions
However, one of the most important aspects of good care during difficult times is companionship, where care recipients get to know their CareAngels, and can rest assured that a familiar carer will always be happy to chat, offering emotional support and a listening ear.
What Is the Benefit of Arranging At-Home Cancer Care?
The benefits of cancer care in the comfort of your home may depend on your diagnosis and circumstances, but there are many situations where a person living alone or without close family nearby can find it impossible to cope independently while undergoing treatment.
In the worst-case scenario, this can leave vulnerable people with little choice but to consider residential care, even if this isn’t something they want. Home care ensures this is never an inevitability, and that everyone can access reliable care on their own terms.
Families often go above and beyond to provide practical and emotional support for their loved ones following a cancer diagnosis, but this isn’t always possible, and a caregiver may have limited capacity due to responsibilities at work or caring for their children.
Likewise, loved ones may want to do everything they can but have their own health concerns, or want the relief of knowing a trained, skilled carer will visit on the days they can’t. Families can also organise overnight care, so they are never worried about their loved one feeling unwell or frightened and having nobody to speak with.
We know that many families value the ability to concentrate their time on making memories or resting and recovering as much as possible, with a carer who will lend a hand wherever they’re needed, ensuring the home is clean and tidy and the best possible environment for healing.
Guidance on Organising Cancer Care at Home
Should you wish to learn more about cancer care or any of the care structures we’ve mentioned, you are very welcome to explore the guides and resources on our website, which are designed to ensure care is simple and accessible.
We also offer no-cost care assessments, which help us understand where we may best be able to help. This is an opportunity for you or a loved one to explain your concerns and ask as many questions as you might have about organising the care you feel comfortable with.
Following an assessment, conducted by one of our dedicated local care managers at your home or in hospital, we’ll share our advice and recommendations, but as always, decisions about your care are yours to make in your own time.
If you’d like to speak to someone or arrange an assessment, get in touch with your local Guardian Angel Carers team to discuss how we can support you or your loved one.