We often found it hard to talk to our dad out of fear of saying the wrong thing.  We experienced the same problem with our friend Betty, who was suffering from stage-4 breast cancer.  So we avoided saying anything – which makes no sense whatsoever!  All we wanted to do was offer support to someone who was sick, but we sometimes let our own fears and insecurities get in the way.   

We found a helpful article, entitled, “How to Support an Individual with a Chronic Disease,” that deals with this very concern, and we have summarized it below. (You can find the entire article on ehow.com.)

• Be a good listener.
• Avoid letting conversations always center on chronic illness, insurance issues, doctor visits, etc.
• Make it a point to do enjoyable, stress-reducing healthy activities – play games, visit parks, make a scrapbook, etc.
• Be specific about how you can help – I can bring you meals, pick up groceries, make calls, clean the house.
• Listen to their needs and don’t impose what you think they need.
• Don’t talk about another individual’s struggle with chronic illness.
• Do not push for test results or a play-by-play on their health care.
• Let them take the lead in conversations about their illness.
• If they bring up death, don’t be afraid to explore the topic.
• Resist the temptation to shut down communication because you’re afraid or nervous.