Lack of insight into how patients are coping can impede effective carer-patient communication. These methods are increasingly being used for people with cancer because they are brief, focussed, problem-oriented and are worked through in collaboration with the patient. One of the more useful ways of helping patients plan how to live an ordinary life is through activity scheduling. This involves encouraging people to look at how they spend their time given the limitations of their illness and planning a normal life. Approaches to understanding and aiding adjustment are described in more detail in some of the reference texts Families Families are also important.
Cancer is a family issue.
The needs of family members and their influence on the patient are important to understand. Support needs to be extended to include family members who have difficulty in adjusting. Where family members cope well they can be enlisted as allies in helping the patient to plan how to cope. It is important to be aware of cultural and religious differences when looking at patterns of adjustment to cancer over time and the disease course. It is important to be aware of the influence of cultural stereotypes in our thinking.