When you become a care partner, you may find yourself in a new role. This can be challenging if you're caring for a spouse or partner who has been a part of your life before or after they started their prostate cancer journey.
It's common to feel overwhelmed, and it's OK to ask for help.
Many care partners say that, looking back, they took too much on themselves. Or, they wish they had asked for help from friends or family sooner. Take an honest look at what you can and can’t do on your own, especially as their support needs change throughout their prostate journey.
Whatever your situation, it can be tough to balance caring for a loved one with other parts of life — your career, children, and even your health.
Jay R., Care Partner
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When you're helping a loved one through their prostate health journey, there are several questions to keep track of. They might even be different from the questions he has in mind. Choosing what to do next can be difficult, but having the right information and the full picture of any next steps is vital.
Here are some questions you can bring up with his doctor:
Your handbook is a resource designed to help you learn about your prostate health in the way that works best for you. Learn about screening, prostate cancer, and potential treatment options at your own pace and understand what comes next.
Navigating the health care system is tough.
Phone calls. Doctors' visits. Medical records. Insurance coverage. Billing statements. Health care portal passwords. There are many moving parts to help manage. It's even possible that your health care system recently changed the location or access to services. All these changes can make the process even more challenging. Know that you're doing your best; we're here to help.
Here are some steps you can take to help him receive the prostate health services he needs:
Keep a journal of interactions with his doctor, medical office, pharmacy, and billing staff. Record the date, time, person, department, and content discussed.
As a care partner, you can request access to digital or physical medical record copies, but the person you care for will need to give the doctor and care team permission first. Talk with him and his doctor about the necessary paperwork you'd need to complete. That way, you'll be able to communicate with his doctor and review visit notes, lab results, and future appointments.
Openly express financial barriers that may prevent his medical services or medication recommendations. And knowledge of insurance coverage helps prevent surprise bills. Once his care team knows, they may recommend medication assistance programs that can support him.
Actively listening and participating during his doctor's visits help build a relationship with his care team. However, if you feel like your or your loved one's concerns are going unheard, you can always look for a second opinion. A second opinion helps him make well-informed decisions. It's important to feel as knowledgeable as possible.
As a care partner, you may have to decipher medical information, help schedule visits, solve financial matters, and be a source of emotional support for the Black man you care about in his cancer journey. You do so much for him and everyone — and we respect that!
Being a care partner can also be overwhelming! It requires patience and empathy, as well as physical and emotional endurance. Taking care of yourself allows you to be there for him as well. The good news is that there are strategies to cope with stress and resources at your disposal.
He may not always admit it or know how to express it, but he needs you. And we know you need help too! Here are some potential helpful resources:
This site is published by Janssen Biotech, Inc. The above links to third-party resources are provided as a service to our website visitors and may be helpful to them along their prostate health journey. This site is not intended to provide medical advice. You should always talk to your doctor and health care team about any medical decisions and concerns.
