Caring for someone with cancer and dementia

About 850,000 people are living with dementia in the UK. Many people living with dementia also have other health conditions, including cancer. The number of people living with both dementia and cancer is growing. In this blog, written by senior editor Sarah, we explain more about the effects of living with cancer and dementia and how you can help someone with these conditions.

Living with cancer and dementia
Having both conditions can be difficult for the person with dementia, and their carers, family and friends. People with dementia sometimes have:

• difficulties understanding their diagnosis or treatment – this can be stressful for carers, family and friends
• problems making decisions – you may need to help them make decisions about treatment or care
• difficulties communicating – they may not be able to tell you or their healthcare team about side effects or symptoms they have
• poor appetite and eating problems – these can lead to constipation and dehydration, which can make confusion worse for people with dementia.

Building a support network of friends, family and neighbours can make a big difference. There are also community health and social care professionals who can support you. 

How to help someone with dementia and cancer to look after their health
Looking after someone with cancer and dementia can be both rewarding and challenging. Depending on the stage of their illness, they may need lots of help with everyday activities. It’s also important to help them to look after their general health. Here are some tips:

• Help them take medicines as prescribed – a pill organiser (dosette box) might make things easier.
• Encourage them to have regular check-ups with their GP or nurse. If they feel unwell, try to get them to the GP promptly.
• Help them keep up to date with hearing, eye and dental checks. 
• Help them to go for short walks or to do some gentle stretching exercises.
• Encourage them to eat a balanced diet and keep to a healthy weight. A dietitian can give you advice about this.

Remember to look after yourself too. Making time for you, taking breaks and getting support is important. Talking to other people in a similar situation may be helpful. 

Macmillan’s new information about cancer and dementia
We have written some new information about living with cancer and dementia. We wrote it in partnership with Dementia UK. For more information about different types of dementia, you can call Dementia UK on 0800 888 6678. We have two new booklets:

• A guide for people with cancer and dementia – this specially written booklet is for people with cancer and dementia. We have included an About Me form with space to add treatment, hospital and personal details. The booklet also has a symptom diary that can be torn out and re-used.
• Cancer and dementia: a guide for carers – this booklet is for anyone who looks after a friend or family member who has both cancer and dementia. This information is also online in our section about dementia and cancer.

To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.

We're with you every step of the way

The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.

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