my mum has been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer, she is very unable to carry out daily tasks and requiring a lot of support. can I take time off work to care for her?
I am so sorry to hear about your mum's metastatic lung cancer diagnosis. I can imagine that as the cancer has spread it is impacting her quality of life and she will need additional support to carry out every day tasks.
It's very nice of you to want to be there for her and care for her although juggling this with work can be really difficult. As an employee, you are allowed to take time off work to deal with an emergency situation involving a dependant. You can find out more about your rights on the government website. It is worth telling your employer as soon as you can how much time you think you'll need so that it can be agreed. There may also be the possibility to take compassionate leave so make sure you check your employment contract, company handbook or intranet for details about compassionate leave.
If you were ever to decide to become your mum's full time carer, the government website also has useful information on eligibility for carer's allowance.
Other options may also be available to you to ensure your mum is getting the support she needs so it's worth thinking carefully about what would work best for you both at this stage. A lot of practical and emotional support is available to you and your mum so you don't have to carry the weight of it all exclusively on your shoulders. Have a look at our website information on support at home which can take the form of GP and community nursing support, social workers who can arrange support at home or respite care for example or local support services. You might also be interested in reading our section on how to support someone with cancer.
For support and information, you can call the Cancer Research UK nurses. They can give advice about who can help you and what kind of support is available. Feel free to ring them on this free number 0808 800 4040 - Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (closed this bank holiday Monday).
I hope this helps a little and that you will also hear from other forum members who have had to take time off work before to look after a relative with cancer and that they will come and share their experience with you.
