| I feel so guilty. I feel helpless and out-of-touch. | | | | they are in need of special items. Sometimes |
| How can I help when I live so far away? Sound | | | | caregivers recoup the additional expenses. |
| familiar? It probably does if you have ever been a | | | | Sometimes they do not. |
| long-distance caregiver to a loved one with | | | | 4. Inability to respond quickly |
| cancer. | | | | - Will your employer work with you on your |
| How do you make it work? Many long-distance | | | | absence due to long-distance family caregiver |
| caregivers never really accept their role simply | | | | issues? |
| because they do not know how to make a | | | | - Can you take care of business and family on |
| difference from a distance. They feel | | | | the home-front simultaneously? |
| overwhelmed by the circumstances in which they | | | | 5. Difficulty in determining when help is needed and |
| find themselves. Unique challenges for | | | | urgency of the need |
| long-distance caregivers include: | | | | - A cancer patient may exaggerate a condition |
| 1. The long commute | | | | because they are lonely. |
| - Travel time constrains when you can go there | | | | - Some cancer patients downplay their condition |
| - Time away from the job and family are | | | | because they don't want to "be a bother." They |
| necessary | | | | do not want to interrupt the caregiver's way of |
| - Will you have to use vacation time or take time | | | | life. |
| off without pay? | | | | - Is there a concern about your loved one's |
| - Does your employer have a family leave plan? | | | | safety? |
| 2. Reliance on others for information | | | | - Is your loved one eating right? |
| - Are you getting the most current information? | | | | - Is medication being taken according to the |
| - Are you getting the truth? | | | | Doctor's instructions? |
| - Are you being "protected" from the truth since | | | | 6. Determining when you should physically go |
| you live so far away? | | | | there |
| - Are you getting the "full" story? | | | | - Long distance caregivers can't go to see the |
| - Some families neglect to share all the details to | | | | cancer patient on a whim. |
| "spare" the long-distance caregiver. | | | | - It's difficult to assess the urgency of the |
| - Can you make informed decisions based on the | | | | situation when one is not located near the patient. |
| information you are getting? | | | | Being a long-distance Cancer Caregiver poses |
| 3. Incurring additional expenses | | | | many unique challenges. It can be stressful and |
| - The travel is usually expensive | | | | frustrating. Cancer Caregivers must get creative |
| - Caregivers often buy more meals out | | | | to be able to deal with these challenges in a |
| - Caregivers often buy things for the patient if | | | | positive way. |