5 Important Steps to Get Organized As a Caregiver.
Before my dad was diagnosed with Lung Cancer it didn’t matter if I was a mess or if I wasted a ton of time on things that had no bearing on my life. But after the diagnosis, I needed to become organized, as quickly as possible.
Once cancer exploded into our lives, I had to figure out a way to organize all of this stuff and I didn’t have time to figure out a super complicated process.
“Why can’t we ever find what we need? Who can find anything in this mess? I swear, I just had that paper yesterday!”
Sound Familiar?
Cancer is like a whirlwind of information and emergencies flying at you from every angle.
It’s easy for important information to get lost in the chaos. And it’s really easy for family caregivers to forget to communicate something important because there are “emotionally charged” distractions coming at you every moment.
After losing several important documents and a disk that took days to replace, we figured out a system that could be set up in less than an hour and took minutes to maintain.
Before you Start: The Most Important Step
This was the most important thing we did to get started. We needed something quick and easy that I could set up fast… and we needed it to actually work.
Getting organized started with paperwork so we used The Cancer Binder Pack (which you can get here, it’s 100% FREE)…
The Cancer Binder Pack will walk you through step by step so you can get all of your important medical records and information organized and under control, for free.
Place it in a three-ring binder and you’re good to go.
We used it to keep track of important information…
- A complete medical history (past surgeries, physical health).
- An updated medication list.
- Contact Information and phone numbers for medical providers and care team members.
- Directions we needed to follow.
- Symptoms we needed to look for.
- Side effects we needed to know about.
The Cancer Binder Pack actually works. It includes paper calendars to track medical appointments and doctor visits.
It’s quick to set up, super easy to use and requires no extra effort to maintain.
You can get more info about the Cancer Binder Pack here (it’s totally free)…
How to Become An Organized Caregiver
There are a few small changes that made a big difference in my ability to deal with everything during my caregiving journey.
1. Implement the Cancer Binder Pack
Creating a cancer binder is a simple way to save you a TON of stress, anxiety, and frustration.
Cancer comes with an unbelievable amount of information.
- Appointments
- Scans
- Test results
- Biopsies
- Medication changes
- New doctors
- Lab results
The list is endless.
Once the medical stuff was organized we could ALWAYS find what we needed without spending extra time scrambling around.
You can get The Cancer Binder Pack for free here…
2. Figure out what’s important
Make a list of everything that needs to be done on a regular basis and then identify what can wait/can’t be missed, etc.
Giving yourself a clear idea of what you HAVE to do and what you can skip or put off reduces a ton of stress. Write your to-do list in a small notebook and stick to it.
It’s hard to know where to start when literally EVERYTHING feels like a priority, but you don’t have time to deal with everything. Make a simple list of items and then deal with the things you have to do and skip the rest.
The most important part… don’t feel guilty about it.
3. Use a Planner For You
How will I get all this done? What if I screw this up? How in the world can ANYONE keep all of this straight?
We know exactly how you feel.
Cancer involves a daily schedule of constantly running around to doctor’s appointments, treatments, scans, physical therapy, and after that there may be caregiving daily routines like bathing, changing, meals, etc. you need to do as well.
One of the reasons you need to be organized is to deal with the overwhelm.
Once you’ve done all that, you now have to find time for everything else that’s happening in your own life.
You know, like spouses, raising kids, working, an hour or two of “me time” once in a while…
Before you know it you’re totally overloaded.
That’s where a planner comes in…
A Planner Will Help You Tremendously
Anything that helps you get better organized and saves you time from constantly scrambling around is a GODSENT.
Because there are times when it feels impossible to manage all this stuff.
Real talk––there’s nothing more frustrating than the feeling that you’re drowning when cancer explodes into your family.
Careful planning is one of the most dire caregiver’s needs. You’re already dealing with the stress, the emotions, the terror, and the uncertainty of the whole situation, and on top of that, you have to figure out how to handle everything else that comes with this disease.
The planner is for you. Your life and your schedule.
It helps you keep track of appointments, household chores, the medication schedule and your own care. This is a separate calendar to run your life.
- Places you need to be
- Things you need to do
- Meal planning
- Mental health
- Work
- Family
- Your own doctor appointments
The list is endless.
The last thing caregivers need is more chaos and craziness in their life. These weekly planning pages are built by and for caregivers. And they focus on three things. Where you need to be, what you need to do, and planning ahead so it all goes as smoothly as possible.
Looking at the whole picture every week and devising a plan to tackle your caregiving responsibilities and your own important tasks makes a big difference. It helps you mentally prepare for what’s coming, identifies any challenges and obstacles so they can devise a plan, and allows them to tackle the week with as little extra drama as possible.
You can grab the weekly planning pages here…
4. Meal Plan Ahead of Time
This is the ONLY way I can manage to get dinner on the table every night.
If I don’t have dinners planned out ahead of time, we end up eating out every night and there is no way we can afford that. I just jot down dinner for the night at the bottom of each day in my planner.
It’s not super fancy, in fact, it’s pretty simple.
Every Sunday morning, I plan out dinners for the week ahead and make a shopping list at the same time. Then I either do all my grocery shopping (or order online and pick them up).
I get everything I need for dinners so it’s in the house and ready to cook. The only thing I might need toward the end of the week is fresh produce for salad.
And the kids already know what we’re having because it’s written down in a common area, so they know what to expect. Planning ahead allows me to have a strategy for hectic nights, days I will be gone all day or overnight, school sports, etc.
You can find complete instructions for quick and easy meal planning here…
5. Always have a bag packed
Emergencies are a huge part of cancer.
And they don’t come with a whole lot of “prep” time before you have to go running out the door.
Expect them and prepare for them.
Have a bag already packed so you can just grab it and go.
We’ll walk you through the whole thing here…
5. Find time for you
It feels impossible sometimes, but you have to find some time to relax, decompress and do something fun.
If you don’t it will catch up to you quick.
This type of stress is devastating and constant and nothing you can do will take it all away, so you have to make time for a break as often as possible.
We have a ton of ideas for taking a break for cancer here…
Becoming organized will help tremendously when it comes to managing everything. And the best part is these quick and easy tips will save you a ton of time and energy.
What tips save you a ton of time?
P.S. If you’re overwhelmed by all this cancer business, we can relate!
The Cancer Binder Pack will walk you through the quick and easy system we used to organize our medical information. Step-by-step instructions, printable forms, and monthly calendar pages so you can ALWAYS find what you need when you need it. And, the best part it’s FREE…
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack here…
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