Highlight the Caregivers' Role 
Martine Elias, Executive Director
Being a caregiver myself enables me to understanding the impact the myeloma caregiver community plays. Every year Caregiver Week takes place in early November, honouring the important work caregivers do and the incredible place they hold in our lives. Being a caregiver in one capacity or another is becoming increasingly more common, yet the realities of caregiving are not necessarily well understood or recognized. It is exactly for these reasons that we’ve worked very hard to bring you the newest addition to our InfoGuide series: The Multiple Myeloma Caregiver Handbook.
Our objectives with this Handbook are to not only highlight the crucial role caregivers play and the selflessness they demonstrate every day, but to acknowledge and address their specific needs so they can continue to offer support and strength to the person for whom they’re caring. It provides caregivers the tools they need to adjust to their ‘new normal’ while trying to establish balance in their lives. You can download the PDF version of the Handbook here ; printed copies will be available soon, so please stay tuned!
Some of the information we’ve included in the Caregiver Handbook:

  • An overview of myeloma and the current treatments available so that caregivers can get a better handle on the unique challenges faced by myeloma patients.
  • Supporting your loved one through treatments, side effects and medical visits.
  • Helping to manage and provide daily care for your loved one.
  • Talking to loved ones and asking for help.
  • Taking care of oneself.
We’re excited to let you know that we’ve also added a new “Being a Caregiver” section to our website. (You can easily access it by clicking here or by going to www.myeloma.ca and selecting "About Multiple Myeloma"). We encourage you to visit this section as well as share the links to the website and Handbook with friends and family. These materials are valuable resources. They’ve been designed specifically for the unique reality that caregivers experience, help answer questions, provide ideas and inspirations so that caregivers receive the support they need. In addition, Myeloma Canada also created a Facebook virtual support group just for caregivers. The group is private and closed to myeloma caregivers across Canada and is a great way to connect with others from the comfort of your own home. You can find out more by clicking here .
As November draws to a close, we’d like to take a minute to salute all the caregivers among us.
 
“Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.”
— Margaret Mead
 
Take care of each other and yourselves,
Martine Elias
Executive Director
Did you know that Myeloma Canada created a virtual support group for caregivers?
Click here to find out more.
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