Your hospital social work office that works with cancer patients and families can be an excellent first source of information and resources in your community. These individuals as well as hospital discharge planners can provide immediate information.

Each family will have its own requirements, and some will need far more kinds of assistance than others. When you are exploring services available to you, consider these areas:

• Supplemental meals
Some communities have services that deliver prepared meals to people who are elderly or ill, such as Meals on Wheels.

If traveling to the supermarket is a barrier to eating well, see if your community has a grocery store shopping and home delivery service.

Almost every community has restaurants that deliver at no extra cost. This can be a valuable service.

• Transportation (doctor visits, hospitals, etc.)
If your loved one with cancer is elderly, then special transportation services for the aging in your community may be available

Some communities have volunteers coordinated by social service agencies who are available to take a patient to a medical appointment, regardless of age.

• Help in modifying your home.
Some home modifications may be necessary to make it easier to care for your loved one. Home modifications can make things safer.

• Assistance with yard care
Communities offer a variety of services that can be helpful. Contact your community's assistance offices to see if help is available.

This kind of work can also be managed by friends and neighbors who have offered to help.

If all else fails, hire yard crews.

• Cleaning help
Communities offer a variety of services that can be helpful. Contact your community's assistance offices to see if help is available.

Family and friends may be willing to undertake this assistance, perhaps on a rotating basis, or hire a cleaning service periodically.

• Senior centers/day care for seniors
These are mainly for senior citizens, but some centers are also able to accommodate people with medical problems.

It is not likely that this kind of center will be of use to people with cancer unless they are also elderly and well enough to enjoy spending time out of the home.

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