Supporting the carers of individuals affected by colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers, and many difficulties may be experienced as a direct consequence of the disease and its treatment. These can be alleviated and/or resolved with appropriate care. Much of this care is provided informally by the individual's family and friends, whose care needs may be practical, emotional, financial, spiritual or organizational in nature. Care requirement can, as a consequence, be variable in its responsibilities, regularity and duration, since the individual diagnosed with colorectal cancer may require a wide range of support throughout their cancer journey, or have only a few temporary care needs, depending on their disease, treatment and a multitude of other personal, interpersonal and contextual factors. This highlights the importance of regular and individualized assessment. The caregiver's role is often forgotten and hence the impact it may be having upon their own health and lives gets overlooked. Yet, a carer's ability to manage this role has an important bearing not only on patient experience but also on the level of professional involvement. To perform this role satisfactorily carers need to be prepared, supported and also assessed at key points in the patient's cancer journey. Nurses have a professional obligation to help carers by first preparing them, then maintaining sufficient contact to be able to proactively provide practical support and additional health care as needed. This article focuses on these carers and highlights the scope, associated challenges and possible consequences of the caring role. It also seeks to stimulate reflection of how current service provision for carers might be improved.