Our mission at Cherry Lodge is to support anyone in our local community who is living with cancer – and that includes friends, family and carers of the person with a cancer diagnosis. We’re here to help you offer your loved one emotional and practical support, and look after yourself, too.
“When my mum was diagnosed with lung cancer, knowing that Cherry Lodge was there to support her was a huge help to the whole family. Cherry Lodge provides comfort, understanding, and real community to people going through some of the hardest times in their lives.”
When a friend or family member receives a cancer diagnosis, simply being there to listen is often more valuable than finding the right words. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s OK to admit it, and often better than pretending nothing has changed. Try to listen without judgement and treat the person you’re supporting just as you always have, sharing jokes and talking about non-cancer related topics.
Sending thoughtful messages to let people know you’re thinking of them, without requiring a response, can really boost someone’s day. But it’s best to avoid giving unsolicited medical advice or telling them to “be positive”, as this can invalidate their feelings. Most importantly, you don’t have to feel alone in supporting your loved one – we’re there to support them, too.
Find out more about the support we offer.
Support with daily chores or lifts to appointments can make all the difference to someone living with cancer. Offer help with specific tasks like cleaning, cooking, laundry or gardening – instead of saying “let me know if you need anything” offer concrete help like “I can do your shopping on Wednesday”. Coordinating with other family or friends through apps like WhatsApp can be very useful. And our team of befrienders can offer help with light tasks, such as picking up prescriptions, and our volunteer drivers can help with driving to appointments.
Supporting someone living with cancer can be tough, and you may need support, too. At Cherry Lodge we host a monthly carers support group which meets online – for more information contact karen@cherrylodgecancercare.org.uk.
We also recommend barnetcarers.org, which is a great organisation providing lots of practical support for carers.
Use resources like Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK and barnetcarers.org, and you can always count on us at Cherry Lodge for support and advice.
