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Life Planning
Handling Money Worries
Coping with Work Issues
Preparing Advance
Directives
"I'm not working for the
money. I'm working for
the benefits. If we don't
have benefits, we'd lose
everything."
- Debbie
The financial challenges that people with cancer and their families face are very real. During an
illness, you may find it hard to find the time or energy to review your options. Yet it's important to
keep your family financially healthy.
For hospital bills, you or your loved one may want to talk with a hospital financial counselor.
You may be able to work out a monthly payment plan or
even get a reduced rate. You may also want to stay in
touch with the insurance company to make sure
costs are covered.
For information about resources that are available, see
the Resources section. You can also get the
NCI fact sheet, "Financial Assistance for Cancer Care,"
at
www.cancer.gov, search terms "financial assistance."
Or call toll-free 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
to ask for it.
One of the greatest sources of strain is trying to balance work demands with providing care and
support to a loved one. Some caregivers feel relieved to go back to work. However, for others it
can be hard because you may not feel as if you're back to normal. You may feel exhausted and
find it hard to focus on work after the intense caregiving experience. Or you may not want to start
back up full-time if you're still
caring for the person with
cancer. People at work may
expect you to be back to normal
now that treatment is over. How
caregiving can affect your work
life includes:
- Mood swings that leave
coworkers confused or
nervous about working
with you
- Trouble focusing or
getting your work done
- Being late or calling in
sick because of stress
It's a good idea to find out your company's
rules and policies. See if there are any
support programs for employees. Many
companies have employee assistance
programs with work-life counselors for you
to talk with. Some companies have eldercare
policies or other employee benefit programs
that can help support you. Your employer
may let you use paid sick leave to take care
of your loved one, or they may let you take
unpaid leave.
If your employer doesn't have any policies in
place, you could try to arrange something
informally. Examples include flex-time,
shift-exchanging, adjusting your schedule, or
telecommuting. Also, the Family and Medical
Leave Act may apply to your situation.
Visit
http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla
for more information.
For sources of support, see the Resources section.
Now that your loved one has gone through
treatment, he may see the value of having an
advance directive if he didn't before.
Advance directives are legal documents that
let a person decide important issues ahead
of time, including how much treatment to
receive and who should make decisions if he
or she can't. Having an advance directive
helps ensure that your loved one gets the
treatment he wants. Understanding his
wishes will also make it easier for you if a
time comes when you need to make
treatment decisions.
| Legal Papers At-A-Glance |
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Advance directives include:
- A living will lets people know what
kind of medical care patients want
if they are unable to speak for
themselves.
- A durable power of attorney for
health care names a person to make
medical decisions for a patient if he
or she can't make them. This person,
chosen by the patient, is called a
health care proxy.
Other legal papers that are not part of
the advance directives include:
- A will tells how a person wants to
divide money and property among his
or her heirs. (Heirs are usually the
surviving family members. Other
people may also be named as heirs
in a will.)
- A trust appoints the person a patient
chooses to manage money for her.
- Power of attorney appoints a person
to make financial decisions for the
patient when he can't make them.
Note: A lawyer does not always need to
be present when you fill out these papers.
However, a notary public may be needed.
Each state has its own laws about
advance directives. Check with your
lawyer or social worker about the laws
in your state. (For more, see the
Resources section.)
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