Latest news with #carepackage
Medical News Today
13-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Care packages for breast cancer patients: Ideas and tips
Care packages for breast cancer patients can include a wide range of items, from skin care to meal services. Thinking about the recipient's needs, likes, and dislikes can help with putting one together. Making a care package can be a way to both let the person with breast cancer know they are cared for and to give them gifts that may be useful for the journey ahead. Read on to learn more about how to make a care package, plus a list of ideas for what to include. TheIt can help to have a plan to guide the process of creating a care package. For example, a person may want to: think about the person's personality think about items they already have, or the things they might need determine how and when they will give the care package set a budget It is also worth considering the timing of the care package. If a person has just gotten their diagnosis, they may not feel ready for gifts or visitors yet. In other cases, people find comfort in gifts or visitors right away. Be considerate of their feelings and follow their lead. If a person is ever unsure how to support someone with cancer, asking what they need or want is a good starting point. » Learn more: Coping with a cancer diagnosis Some cancer treatments can make the skin dry, sore, or irritated. Because of this, many pre-assembled cancer care packages include skin care products, such as: hand cream moisturizer lip balm When choosing skin care products, it is best to look for gentle products suitable for sensitive skin. This is because a person undergoing cancer treatment may need to avoid certain ingredients, such as fragrance and essential oils, that cause skin reactions. Strong smells may also trigger or worsen nausea for some. Other products that may be beneficial include: cleansing wipes, to make cleaning the skin easier when fatigued or after surgery bath salts, such as Epsom salts, to ease aches and pains skin massagers or cooling rollers, which may soothe sore skin » Read more: Caring for the skin during chemotherapy Many cancer care packages include accessories that help people stay warm or that feel comforting. Some examples include: slide-on slippers a warm hat soft blankets cosy socks While socks are a popular addition to many care packages, it is worth noting that they can have some drawbacks. For example, it can be more difficult to pull socks on than slippers after surgery. Other useful items could include: microwaveable heat pads or wheat pillows a postsurgery seatbelt protector, to stop seatbelts from hurting surgical wounds or scars a silk hair wrap or pillowcase, which can be soft on a sensitive scalp People who have mastectomies may need to avoid using heat pads, especially around the chest area. The skin there may have less sensation, so using a heat pad could result in burns. People can have different responses to breast cancer, especially when it comes to appetite. Cancer and its treatment may cause: a loss of appetite a change in a person's sense of taste or smell a dry mouth mouth sores nausea or vomiting fatigue, pain, or other symptoms that make eating and drinking more challenging Some ideas for food items that may help with this include: ginger chews or gummies, for nausea sugar-free gum or candies, which may help with dry mouth or unpleasant tastes with dry mouth or unpleasant tastes a large water bottle, ideally with a straw, that a person can easily drink from a person's favorite condiments or seasonings, to add flavor to food a person's favorite snacks Chemotherapy infusions and other cancer treatments can involve periods of time in hospital. As a result, many appreciate being able to find distractions or ways of passing the time. books or magazines they would enjoy audiobooks, which can be easier for some people to focus on, particularly if they have fatigue long charging cables, so a person can charge their devices from a hospital bed or chair noise-cancelling headphones, so they can be immersed in movies, TV shows, or music supplies for their favorite hobbies, such as knitting or journaling Another gift can simply be time spent with loved ones. Social connection and having fun can significantly boost a person's mental health and are just as important during treatment as ever. To include quality time in a care package, people could add: a box or jar of easy date night ideas invitations to game nights, dinners, or other events tickets to movies or shows For events with set dates, try to make them as flexible or low-pressure as possible, so that the person does not need to worry about whether they will be well enough to go. For example, a person could check the refund policy before purchasing tickets or use cancellation insurance. During treatment and recovery, people with breast cancer may appreciate gift cards or services that can take care of tasks they find difficult, such as: meal delivery services dog walking or pet sitting services cleaning services taxi or transport services Gift cards for relaxing treatments or experiences, such as massages or spa trips, could also be welcome. Alternatively, people can offer their own practical support, enlisting the help of friends or relatives. For example, a person could print or draw their own coupons for babysitting services during chemotherapy treatments. When offering help, it is best to make the offer specific. Outline a time and place so that a person knows when to expect it, and does not have to do the planning themselves. Some items are not suitable for people with cancer, such as: Flowers or plants : Some hospitals do not allow flowers or plants on wards, as they can harbor germs or fungal spores. This can be risky for people with compromised immune systems. : Some hospitals do not allow flowers or plants on wards, as they can harbor germs or fungal spores. This can be risky for people with compromised immune systems. Raw or unpasteurized foods : Similarly, some raw foods can also carry germs on their surface, such as fruit. Grapefruits and Seville oranges can also interfere with how the body breaks down medications. : Similarly, some raw foods can also carry germs on their surface, such as fruit. Grapefruits and Seville oranges can also interfere with how the body breaks down medications. Herbal remedies : Do not give herbal medicines to people undergoing cancer treatment. : Do not give herbal medicines to people undergoing cancer treatment. Strong fragrances: Products with strong fragrances, such as candles, skin care products, or bath products, may not be ideal for people with nausea or changes in their sense of smell. If a person feels unsure about putting together their own care package, the National Breast Cancer Foundation sends free HOPE kits on request that contain gifts that patients have said they found comforting. People can donate or sponsor a kit, or request one for a loved one. Breast cancer care packages can be as unique as each individual. What each person wants or finds useful can vary depending on their preferences, the specific treatments they are undergoing, and how it affects them. Some popular items people give in their care packages include warm and soft clothing, skin and bath products, tasty snacks, and anti-nausea products. Practical support and gift cards for services that make life easier can also be welcome gifts for those undergoing treatment. Breast Cancer Cancer / Oncology Women's Health / Gynecology
CBC
11-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Residents in Mark Carney's N.W.T. hometown send care package of local goods to the new PM
A care package with goods from the prime minister's hometown in the N.W.T. is on its way to Ottawa — and the woman who put it together just hopes it'll make him smile. "It was not a political gesture," said Patti-Kay Hamilton, of Fort Smith, N.W.T., but rather a way "to say thanks for making me happy." Prime Minister Mark Carney was born in Fort Smith and lived in the southern N.W.T. town until his family moved south when he was about six years old. Hamilton said that when Carney mentions his birthplace in speeches and in interviews, he seems proud. Hamilton recalled watching a broadcast of Carney's visit to Iqaluit in March when she noticed he was shivering. "He just looked so cold and I yelled at the television, 'give the man a hat!'" she said. That's when it struck her that sending a fur hat is something she and others from Carney's hometown could do. Once others in Fort Smith got word, Hamilton said people were dropping all kinds of things by her house for the new prime minister. There's no fur hat in the care package that's now in the mail, but residents sent a recipe for bannock, a loppet toque, CDs from Fort Smith musicians, a broach carved from buffalo horn, a tiny boat to commemorate Fort Smith's history as the largest shipyard in the territory, and a book about the historic 1968 landslide in Fort Smith that would have affected some of the children Carney went to kindergarten with in Fort Smith. The federal government's website includes a section on gifts and items sent to the prime minister, and it says some items can't be accepted for security reasons, like perishable goods. That's why Hamilton couldn't send the jam or honey or spruce salve that some residents dropped off. The bannock recipe in the care package is from Barb Mercredi and she had important advice to make sure the prime minister gets it right. "One important thing when making bannock is, don't over knead. Only knead 10 times [and] make sure the oven rack is in the middle," she said in a Facebook message. The package also includes a beaded infinity symbol from the Fort Smith Métis, a stained glass hanging, and a small tumble stone — a unique kind of rock that gets shaped by the swirling river, also called concretion rocks. Hamilton said she now has a good collection of tumble stone. "Little kids in the neighborhood found out and they started dropping them off at my back door," Hamilton said. "Finally we found a little small tumble stone that might be something he might remember from his childhood when he was here." Also included in the care package is a book Hamilton wrote, chronicling the life of trapper and bush man Pi Kennedy. Hamilton said it was Kennedy's idea to send it, suggesting Carney might benefit from some of the book's lessons. "A trapper with a dog team is a lot like a prime minister ...you have to keep trying even if you fall off the dog sleigh," Hamilton said Kennedy told her. "[Carney] should remember that if he ever gets cornered by a pack of wolves, stand your ground, don't back down, and never turn your back on a hungry bear — those were [Kennedy's] messages."
Washington Post
06-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
15 Mother's Day brunch recipes to help curate a menu for mom
One of the many ways my mother expresses her love to others is through food. She continues to bake me a special cake on my birthday, prepares my favorite meals when I visit home and always sends me back with a care package of her frozen homemade minestrone soup, bulk shrink-wrapped Parmigiano-Reggiano and more cans of cannellini beans and other shelf-stable goods than I can carry.
