Cancer is an equal opportunity nasty disease and it's definitely in the news right now for some very famous reasons! Some of the famous people who have died in 2009 include Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, Wayman Tisdale, Bea Arthur, Jack Kemp, Don Hewett, and Ted Kennedy. It affects our loved ones including our beloved seniors. I have several friends waiting for me in heaven due to cancer! I’m grateful I also have a couple of baby boomer and younger-aged relatives who got cancer but did NOT die – very good news! They did, however, require extensive caregiving, as did those who have gone on ahead of us.

I’m sure that many of us who are in the Sandwich Generation, caring for elderly parents, are either dealing with cancer, have dealt with cancer, or will deal with cancer and all its issues when it impacts their family as they deal with the grief and, eventually, perhaps even hospice. It’s a difficult job and I salute each and every one of you as you care for your loved one with courage and, occasionally, tears.

Here are some tips and resources that I hope will help you on this difficult path:

• An interesting article, Cancer hurts caregivers, too.
• The Association of Oncology Social Work provides tips, links, and caregiving helps specific to caregivers helping patients with cancer.
• One site I discovered as part of the most recent Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use included the Top 50 Oncology Blogs!
• The Cancer Blog provides self care tips for cancer caregivers.
• About Cancer.com offers tips to recognize and prevent caregiver burnout.

If you know of other sites that provide useful resources and information for senior home care givers and grandparents who are helping cancer patients, please let us know in the comments section below.