Hi all,
My father has been battling prostate cancer for many years which has now spread to the hip and lower back. He is in a great deal of pain with reduced mobility. His doctor is very responsive when needed but I am wondering what sort of support he might be able to get to assist him when things are difficult. He is officially on palliative care but isn't getting any actual care. My mum looks after him but has health issues of her own and I can help with practical things but think some additional help would be both reassuring and necessary at times. I'm sure he shouldn't be struggling and left in pain. Is anyone else going through this? Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Wishing everyone out there the very best.
Good Afternoon Olive11
A warm welcome to the Macmillan online Prostate Community, although I am so sorry to find you here.
As a group none of us are medically trained but we are happy to provide you and mum with as much moral support as we can. Whilst we deal with Prostate Cancer you may well find that our "carers" Community can give you more practical advice regarding dad's ongoing care and here's the link to that Community:
Can I also suggest you contact our support line who can put you in touch with local Macmillan Support and you can contact them on 0808 808 00 00 (8am to 8pm 7 days a week).
I don't know your location, but do you have a "Maggie's" near you. This is a cancer charity for all the family where you can drop in for advice, a brew and a chat - here's a link for you - https://www.maggies.org/
I hope the above helps, please do get back to me if you have any questions.
Best wishes - Brian.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
Strength, Courage, Faith, Hope, Defiance, VICTORY.
I am a Macmillan volunteer.
Hi Olive11 ,
I'm sorry that you have to be here, but glad that you have reached out to the group for help.
There are a bunch of people on here much better able than me to help you with medical matters.
Some of the help you need may not be directly connected to the prostate cancer, though, and I might be able to offer some contact points in that area.
The Macmillan Support Line is a good place to start - 08088080000 - and can help with more or less anything related to cancer support - from information about the illness, to financial matters to help with care. All of this is given with the cancer in mind. There are none more knowledgable.
If you want direct care for your parents that is about helping them cope, then the first source I point to is this page:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/
It is a superb support guide for all sorts of problems, and about how to get real support in the home. The help itself comes via Adult Social Services in your area. This is usually dealt with by the Unitary Authority - the same one that deals with education and roads - and you should be able to find out who exactly they are on your local council's website.
Your dad is likely to need a "care needs assessment" and your mum may need a "carers assessment". Even if the assessment is that not much help is needed right now, it is good to get "on the radar", because these assessments are so in demand.
Then for general information you can look at the website of Citizens Advice for help, especially on benefits and financial help. The national site is on this page:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
There is a box to help you find your local service here:
Hopefully that will give you some early assistance.
Steve
