Tips for managing daily activities

In the bathroom

Dressing

Housework and gardening

Shopping

Meal preparation

Childcare

At work

Leisure

Contact your local council and ask about the services they offer. (Use the White Pages, business section, under the council's name.) These include meals on wheels; home cleaning, maintenance and gardening; day care for adults and children; pet walking and grooming; and volunteer visitors. Some of these services are free or low-cost.

The social worker at your hospital can advise you about other services. A physiotherapist or occupational therapist can also help.

In the bathroom

• Sit down to bathe and dry yourself.
• Long, hot showers and baths could make you feel more tired.
• Use a shower/bath organiser placed where you can easily reach it.
• Install rails and handles where you need them, for example, in the shower and near the toilet.
• Use extension handles on sponges and brushes.
• Install a raised seat on the toilet.

Dressing

• Plan what you will wear and have your clothes ready before dressing.
• Sit down to dress and try to avoid bending from a standing position.
• Wear comfortable clothes and low-heeled shoes.

Housework and gardening

• See if your local council can provide a house cleaner or gardener.
• Let family and friends help with tasks where possible.
• Schedule household tasks over the week (for example, washing one day, vacuuming the next) so you don't do too much on one day.
• Lower your standards for a while!
• Where you can, sit to do housework and gardening.

Shopping

• Use a shopping trolley rather than a basket.
• Have your groceries delivered. You may be able to order from home.
• Ask for help. Use shops where the staff are considerate and will carry your bags and boxes to the car.
• Shop at less busy times (evenings or early in the morning).
• Organise your list by aisle if you know your supermarket well.

Meal preparation

• Use frozen foods.
  Make meals you don't need to toil over: tinned sardines, tuna and salmon, salad, omelettes and scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, grilled lean chops, vegetable stir fries and fresh fruit salad are healthy and easy to prepare.
• Rearrange things so you don't have to bend or reach.
• Store frequently used saucepans and utensils on a bench rather than in a cupboard.
• Order take-away food sometimes if you can afford it.
• Accept offers of meals with friends and family.
• Soak dishes instead of scrubbing and let dishes air dry.
• Wash up after each meal so the dishes don't build up.
• If you're making a soup or pasta sauce, make extra portions that you can freeze.

Childcare

• Encourage games where you can sit: drawing pictures, playing board games, reading and computer games.
• Have children climb onto your lap instead of being lifted.
• Feed children at their own level (such as a play table) if they're too small to climb onto a chair at the dining/kitchen table.
• Arrange childcare so that you have regular rest times on your own.

At work

• If you are suffering cancer treatment-related fatigue and finding your usual duties difficult, consider discussing with your employer whether your duties or hours can be modified. (Note: if you have problems with employment or your employer because of your cancer or anything related to your cancer treatment, be aware of your rights. Call the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 for a copy of Cancer: Legal Rights and Responsibilities.)
• If the fatigue is making working difficult, consider taking leave or reducing your hours for a short term.
• If you can, plan to work most intensively when you will feel most energetic and plan short rest periods for when you are likely to be tired. If your work involves a lot of bending and movement, see if it is possible to change your duties for the short term.
• Reduce the amount of bending and reaching you have to do by placing frequently used items in easy reach. Bend from your knees, not your back. Use a cart to move larger items.
• Delegate if you can: ask others to do things that you find difficult to do.

Leisure

• Going out with a companion or companions is easier than going out alone.
• Do things gradually at first; aim for major activities only when your fatigue is lessening.
• Plan rest times between activities.
• Try not to get overtired.

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