| Abstract: |
Cancer caregivers are an essential extension of the healthcare team. Rapid advances in cancer care, including new drug and immunotherapies and more sophisticated diagnostic tools, have improved our ability to extend lives and enhance survival. Such good news is coupled with the reality that as patients are living longer and in many cases cancer is now a chronic, rather than an abruptly life-limiting, illness, the burden on caregivers and their needs has substantially increased. Informal caregivers have become the backbone of our healthcare system, concurrently playing the role of partner/parent/child/sibling/friend and physician, nurse, social worker, lawyer, and patient navigator. Without a doubt, the presence of a caregiver who is dressed in invisible armor, ready to advocate (fight) on behalf of patients, negotiate our complicated healthcare system, and attempt clear and productive communication with medical, administrative, and legal professionals, is not only optimal, but also essential to the well-being of patients today. Caregivers must be considered a critical part of the patient care unit by cancer care professionals, and we must continue to advocate for a paradigm shift from patient-centered to family-centered care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) |
