Caregiver Tips

The term "informal caregivers" refers broadly to family members and others who help provide care of any kind-such as preparing meals, cleaning house, driving to treatments, or performing other tasks.

Early signs of peripheral neuropathy may manifest themselves in subtle ways. If you are with your loved one more frequently than anyone else (including professional caregivers), you may notice it before other people do.

The person may complain of having cold feet, feeling weak, or being clumsy-for example, dropping things or needing help with buttoning a shirt or blouse when no help was needed previously.

Keep an eye on this and observe changes over days or weeks. Peripheral neuropathy shows up during or after certain kinds of chemotherapy treatments, especially those that contain platinum-based drugs. If you see changes that can't be attributed to other conditions, speak up. Let your loved one know of your concern, while also encouraging the person that help and hope are available to minimize the problem. Your loved one's quality of life should not have to suffer because of a treatable symptom such as peripheral neuropathy.