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Patient Education

Self-Care for Caregivers

The physical and emotional demands of caring for a loved one with a serious illness can be exhausting and even lead to burnout. It's important to maintain your own health and well-being so you can provide the best possible care.

Here are tips for handling some of the common challenges for caregivers:

  • Take time for yourself and your own needs. Watch for signs of stress, such as impatience, loss of appetite or difficulty with sleep, concentration or memory. Pay attention to changes in your mood, a loss of interest in usual activities or an inability to accomplish usual tasks.
  • Eat a well-balanced diet. Drink plenty of water every day.
  • Exercise by taking short walks daily or at least three times a week.
  • Listen to guided relaxation recordings or relaxing music.
  • Schedule short rest periods between activities. Make it a priority to get a good night's sleep.
  • Set limits for what you can do. 
  • Don't overload your daily to-do list. Be realistic.
  • Find a few hours several times a week for activities that you find meaningful and enjoyable.
  • Let family members and friends help with household chores, meal preparation, childcare and shopping. 
  • Keep the lines of communication open among your loved one, you, your family and friends, and the health care team.
  • Share your feelings with family members or other caregivers, or join a support group.
  • Give yourself credit: The care you give does make a difference.
  • You are not alone. UCSF Health offers experienced and sensitive social workers and case managers to help patients and their families cope with illness, hospitalization and medical treatment.

    Adapted from "Self-Care for the Caregiver," Oncology Nursing Society, 2001.

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

Support services

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Patient Resource

Case Management and Social Work

Connect with a team that can help you find resources, solve problems and advocate for you during treatment at UCSF.

Support Group

Cancer Support Groups

Support groups held by the Ida and Joseph Friend Patient and Family Cancer Support Center are free and available to all patients, whether or not you get your health care at UCSF.

Patient Resource

Oncology Social Work

Social workers can be key members of your cancer care team. Reach out for support, problem solving and help accessing UCSF's many cancer-related resources.

Patient Resource

Patient and Family Cancer Support Center

You'll find support groups, classes, a library, treatment information, special events and much more to promote wellness and healing for patients and families.

Support Group

Peer Support Program for Cancer

Patients are matched with peer support volunteers according to criteria such as diagnosis, cancer stage, age or gender. Speak to someone who's "been there."

Support Group

Organ Transplant Support Groups

The UCSF Heart Transplant/LVAD Support Group offers peer-based support for heart transplant patients and patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).

Support Group

Neurology Support Groups

The UCSF Aneurysm and Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) Support Group encourages all patients with these blood vessel disorders to join. Find more info here.

Patient Resource

Neuro-Oncology Caregiver Program

At UCSF, we understand that a brain tumor diagnosis affects not only our patients, but also their families and loved ones. Learn more about the program here.

Patient Resource

Patient Relations

We welcome feedback about your experience at UCSF Health. Find out how to contact us with comments, questions or concerns.

Patient Resource

Spiritual Care Services

Chaplains representing many faiths are available around the clock to provide support, comfort and counsel to patients, families and caregivers. Learn more.

Recommended reading

Communicating with Your Doctor

The relationship with a doctor is a very personal one, built on communication and trust. In choosing a doctor, the "chemistry" between the two of you must work.

Coping with Chemotherapy

Each person experiences side effects from chemotherapy differently, and different chemotherapy drugs cause different side effects. Learn more here.

Delegation to Help with Fatigue

Fatigue caused by cancer treatment can make it difficult to accomplish even the smallest of tasks. Learn how task delegation can help with this fatigue.

Evaluating Health Information

Health information can be extremely useful, empowering us to make important health decisions. However, it also can be confusing and overwhelming. Learn more.

FAQ: Cancer Pathology Tissue Slides

Find frequently asked questions regarding cancer pathology tissue slides, such as how to obtain the slides and what to do with them once you do.

FAQ: Cancer Radiology Scans and Reports

Learn the difference between a radiology report and radiology films or scans as well as why your doctor may be requesting these scans and more.

Hospice Care

Hospice, which now exists in every state, provides home care and support for terminally ill patients. Learn more about the criteria and costs here.

Managing Your Treatment

Living with or caring for someone with cancer can be a full-time job. Here are some tips to reduce stress and help navigate the disease more effectively.

Nutrition and Coping with Cancer Symptoms

Side effects of cancer treatment may affect your eating pattern, requiring new ways to get the calories, protein and nutrients that you need. Learn more.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Your time with the doctor is limited, thus it's helpful to prepare for the visit in advance by prioritizing the questions that are important to you. Learn more.

Resources for End of Life

The UCSF Cancer Resource Center has a list of bereavement support groups, counselors, hospice and others dealing with end-of-life issues. Learn more.

Tips for Conserving Your Energy

Cancer and cancer therapy can be accompanied by feelings of extreme fatigue. To help you deal with this fatigue, follow these easy tips help conserve energy.

Using a Medical Calendar and Symptom Log

Take time at the end of each day or each week to reflect back on the symptoms you've had. You can use a calendar to track your symptoms. Learn more here.

Attention: Masks On!

If you're a patient or visitor in one of our hospitals or clinics, you are required to wear a mask.

Find out why masking is so important
Did you know?

At any given time, UCSF is conducting more than 1,500 clinical trials to better understand disease and evaluate new treatments. Many treatments and diagnostic tools developed at UCSF are now in standard use around the world, while others are still only available here or at a handful of medical centers.

Learn more
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