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Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 04/2015
Key Messages:
• Caring for a person with cancer who lives far away presents unique challenges.
• Not being physically with the person you care for may make logistics more difficult and intensify caregiving concerns.
• There are ways to be an effective caregiver, even when you live farther away.
The following suggestions can help work with and around many of the challenges of long-distance caregiving.
Get organized
Collect and sort information about the medical, financial, and legal needs of the person with cancer. This will help you make informed decisions, if that is your caregiving role, or help others make informed decisions. Some people use a binder or file folder to keep track of everything.
Make sure that the correct legal documents, such as advance directives, are completed and given to those who need them. This will allow you to make medical, or financial, decisions if the person with cancer is unable to. Find more information about managing the cost of cancer care and managing someone’s cancer care. Introduce yourself.