Can caregivers have financial problems too?

Yes. The money strain of cancer often reaches beyond the patient. The National Cancer Institute explains that informal caregivers — the family members and friends who care for a person with cancer — often share in the experience of financial toxicity, the money problems related to the cost of care.

Caregivers may spend their own money on food, medicine, and other things the patient needs. Many also take time off from work to provide care, which can mean less income for their own household. Over time, these pressures may lead to a higher sense of burden, lower quality of life, and poorer mental health for the caregiver.

If this describes you, please know it is common and not a personal failing. A hospital social worker can point you to resources and programs, just as they do for patients. Sharing tasks and worries with other trusted people, and looking after your own health, are important parts of caregiving too.