5 Practical Ways to Help a Family Member with Cancer: Meal Prep, Rides, and More
Supporting a family member with cancer can feel overwhelming, but offering practical help can make a significant difference in their journey. From meal prep to providing rides, these acts of kindness help alleviate their daily burdens. And there are so many practical ways you can lend a hand. By taking the initiative to offer these forms of support, you help your loved one focus on their recovery while strengthening your bond through shared moments of care and compassion.
1. Meal Preparation
Cooking is one of those daily responsibilities that never ends. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, all of it requires planning and execution. Cancer patients don’t always have all the energy they need to prepare meals, but nutrition is arguably more important than ever. This is an area where your family can really step up to help your loved one.
One effective method is to organize meal trains using online tools like Meal Train or Take Them A Meal. These platforms allow friends, family, and neighbors to coordinate meal deliveries, ensuring a steady stream of home-cooked dishes. By scheduling deliveries, you can help prevent overwhelming the recipient with too much food at once and guarantee that they always have a fresh meal available. Including a few “get well soon gifts” with each delivery, such as a comforting book or a cozy blanket, can bring an extra touch of care and encouragement.
Another practical approach is to prepare freezer meals that can be easily reheated. Spend a day cooking large batches of soups, casseroles, and stews, then portion them into single-serving containers. Freezer meals are especially beneficial as they provide flexibility, allowing the individual to eat whenever they feel hungry or have the energy to do so.
2. Transportation
Frequent medical appointments can just be a lot to keep track of. That’s why offering rides to treatments can be such a great service. It also ensures that your loved one arrives safely and on time, reducing the worry of navigating traffic or finding parking. Your presence during these trips can also provide emotional support, making the experience less isolating.
If you’re a good planner, coordinating transportation with other family members can help distribute the responsibility and ensure your loved one doesn’t feel like a burden for a single person. By creating a schedule for who will provide rides on different days, you also encourage other family members to help.
This collaborative effort can be managed using shared calendars or apps, making it easy to track appointments and availability. This organized approach guarantees that transportation needs are consistently met while reinforcing the collective support system surrounding your family member during their treatment journey.
3. Household Chores
You’ve probably experienced what it feels like to live in a cluttered, dirty home. Maybe you were just busy with work or school that you let some chores slide, or maybe you were sick. Either way, it doesn’t feel great to be surrounded by clutter. This is why stepping it to help with household chores can be such an impactful way to support your family. If you have the time, stop by to do the dishes, laundry, or yard work.
Try to focus on the bigger tasks that tend to pile up or get out of control. Sweeping, mopping, and dusting could probably wait a few more days. If you have the money, you could also arrange for professional cleaning services. These can be great for all the spots you’re not really wanting to clean. If you’re out of town, hiring a maid service is an easy way to make sure your family member is getting taken care of from afar.
4. Childcare and Pet Care
In addition to household chores, taking care of pets and kids is another daily task that can take a lot out of you. And that’s even more true for someone battling cancer. They don’t need to be wrangling kiddos and scooping cat poop. This is an area where you can volunteer your time and make a big difference.
If they have kids, offer to watch children or take them on outings. Ask your loved one if they feel like company. If yes, watch the kids at home. If they just want to rest, take the kids to the park or a local museum. It’s important to offer the kids some support during this time as well. It can be scary seeing their mom or dad feeling weak. If you’re already offering transportation support, you could also help get kids to and from school.
When it comes to taking care of pets, it’s mostly the basics. Food, water, and potty breaks are pretty much all they need. But some extra exercise probably wouldn’t hurt. If their owner is stuck in bed all day, it’s likely they’re cuddled up nearby. Offer to take them on a long walk or to the dog park to get out some zoomies.
5. Personal Care
When someone is dealing with cancer, it’s likely their energy is drained. If they worry about taking care of the house or other people around them, they may end up neglecting themselves. One way you can step in and show you care is by helping them prioritize self care. There are a few ways you can do this.
You could create care packages with items like soft blankets, books, or skincare products. Many types of cancer treatments can lead to dry skin, so run a bath with a little baby or mineral oil and help them get in and out. You could also help them apply moisturizing, alcohol-free creams. If you don’t have that kind of personal relationship, you could arrange for a massage or spa day to help them relax. If they have a favorite salon, offer to drive them to hair or nail appointments. Sometimes small services can make them feel a lot better.
Emotional Support is Important Too
No matter how you offer to help when it comes to practical things, make sure you intentionally offer emotional support too. Be available to listen without giving unsolicited advice. Offer a distraction if they’re feeling especially blue. When you visit, you can bring movies, books, or games to help pass the time. If they need a stronger support system, help find and attend local or online support groups together. There are so many ways you can help. The important thing is to just try. Usually that’s enough.
