Being a Cancer Caregiver for an Older, Active, and Able Woman

Abstract

P health care experiences often propel individuals to pursue careers in health care. For me, it was the experience of caring for my father who had early-onset neurodegenerative dementia that set the stage for my current work. Now, with an advanced degree in health policy with a focus on caregiving policy and research, I am part of a research team studying the information needs of cancer caregivers. Interest in family caregiving in the cancer context has grown over the past several years and is driven largely by the bubbling volcano that is older population growth in the United States. Due to a projected increase in the U.S. older adult population, a corresponding increase in cancer diagnoses is anticipated. A 67% increase in cancer diagnoses among adults 65 and older is anticipated between 2010 and 2030 (Smith, Smith, Hurria, Hortobagyi, & Buchholz, 2009). Meanwhile, a variety of factors contribute to the burden of care being shifted onto family caregivers, including a move toward more outpatient cancer care, advances in home-care technologies, and financial constraints (e.g., the cost of financing home aides or nurses). Caregiving research is vital as it is the scientific story of many caregivers. Yet, the story of one still holds value. The following is my commentary on being a cancer caregiver for an 87-year-old woman. This woman is a nonbiological “grandmother” to me. She was never married and never had children. Thus, I formally fit within the family caregiver spectrum as a “friend.” My official tenure as a cancer caregiver began when my pseudo-grandmother, Betty, noticed a large lump on her left breast. She immediately called her gynecologist and scheduled a mammogram. A mammogram was a test she had not had in years, which, unfortunately, is not uncommon of someone of her age and background. The mammogram verified what she knew—an abnormal growth. She moved on in the assembly line of good care and was scheduled for a biopsy. I, along with others, urged her to have patience and wait for the laboratory result. “It may be cancer, but it also may not be,” I offered in an attempt to be calm but not overly optimistic. The biopsy result indicated cancer, a diagnosis that numerous other older women likely received that same day. Despite sharing a similar diagnosis with many other older women, Betty is no typical 87-year-old. Most notable is her number of prescription medications compared to the average adult 60 or older. A 2008 report indicated that nearly 9 of 10 adults 60 or older were taking at least one prescription medication, whereas nearly 4 of 10 were taking five or more (Gu, Dillon, & Burt, 2010). Betty’s number of prescription medications was zero. Her prescription card showed only a daily multivitamin and garlic pill. My pseudo-grandmother also owns her own car and, importantly, is exceptional at driving. On several occasions, she has driven my kindergarten daughter from school to home. Among her friends at the long-term care facility where she has an apartment, she is the designated driver (not that kind!) of many