Taking care of yourself is an essential part of caring for someone else. Dr. Erin Schenk shares advice to help care partners prioritize their own self-care while supporting a loved one. From building a stronger support network to taking advantage of local and national resources, Dr. Schenk provides helpful strategies to avoid burnout and feel less alone.
Dr. Erin Schenk is a medical oncologist, lung cancer researcher, and associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. Learn more about Dr. Schenk.
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Transcript
Katherine Banwell:
Dr. Schenk, being a care partner can be taxing at times. Would you share some tips for care partners to prioritize their own self-care?
Dr. Erin Schenk:
Yes, definitely. And I think in the patients and loved ones who I’ve had the opportunity to work with, one approach that’s been helpful is, number one, acknowledging the additional amount of just effort and work that your care partner or your loved one is performing. I think just being seen, being acknowledged, is a very powerful thing.
But also, this allows you to be open with friends and family and neighbors or church group members or other people who might have an opportunity to say, “I’m going to be doing X – I’m going to be in your neighborhood for a couple of hours. Would you need some help with some tasks, or do you need to run to the store or run to your own appointments?” I think that’s really an important piece, just helping to open up the circle to get more support during this time.
Katherine Banwell:
Are there resources and organizations that can provide support for care partners?
Dr. Erin Schenk:
Yes, absolutely. And I think an important first step is talking with your loved one’s physician and medical team to see what’s available locally. Sometimes social workers and volunteer organizations are present within the community that could provide local help. There are, of course, national organizations.
So, there are patient advocacy groups, who also have tremendous resources available just in terms of not only understanding the disease and what treatments potentially look like, but also how to take care of yourself through the treatment course, taking care of yourself, whether you are the patient or whether you are supporting the patient through their journey.
Katherine Banwell:
Dr. Schenk, do you have any final advice for our audience members?
Dr. Erin Schenk:
I do. I would encourage patients and their loved ones to – whatever their diagnosis, whatever their cancer diagnosis – to consider obtaining opinions at other institutions. Occasionally, it’s helpful to have another set of eyes or another team to take a look at your situation and provide their thoughts and advice going forward. And sometimes this also provides patients more direct access to clinical trials. So, for example, if you currently are being taken care of at a smaller facility or a smaller hospital, sometimes a larger hospital within the metro area closest to you might have additional clinical trial options that at least would be worth exploring and talking about, if that’s something that you would be interested in considering.