When a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, they need special attention and care. Often, the simplest acts are the most beneficial, but are sometimes overlooked by caregivers. Here, we’ve compiled a list of tips for caregivers, created by talking with cancer survivors and the people who cared for them.

• Offer to make food that can be prepared quickly. Often, cancer patients find eating difficult, or when something sounds good, they loose their appetite quickly. Foods like scrambled eggs, oatmeal or grilled cheese offer nutritional value and can be prepared quickly.
• Attend doctor appointments. It’s difficult for patients to remember everything a doctor says, especially when they’re stressed or worried, so being there as an extra set of ears and even taking notes can be a huge help.
• If someone offers to help, take them up on it. People don’t offer what they can’t do, so give yourself a break and let a friend chip in.
• Be a central point of contact for the patient, especially in his or her sickest days, so they don’t have to field multiple phone calls or emails. Setting up a blog like CarePages can also help keep loved ones informed, without causing stress for the patient.
• Listen. Sometimes the best thing you can do as a caregiver is to listen to your loved one, and let him or her vent about how they feel physically and emotionally.
• If possible, go to chemotherapy treatments with your loved one. Cancer patients often get ill during chemo, and having a loved one there to support them can make a big difference.
• Offer to make a calendar for just doctor appointments and medication/treatment times. This will make it easier to keep up with (and stay on top of) battling the disease.
• When your loved one is feeling well enough to run errands, offer to drive him or her. This alleviates the stress of having to drive, find a parking place and walk, but still allows them to accomplish the things they need to get done.