Support For Carers
“Hi, I am a cancer carer. I know what you’re going through and you are not alone.
After the diagnosis. I wanted to do everything I could to help my mum get better. I tried to absorb the sea of information that was provided however it was limited and confusing at best. Some health care professionals even suggested eating whatever was easy, but how can eating junk foods be good for her during this time?
Preparing food for her during this period was especially challenging due to the demands of what her body desperately needs and catering for her constant changes in taste and appetite.
The challenge was compounded by the sudden changes to my own personal life, I felt overwhelmed and alone in this journey from the general the lack of support and felt like my life was being taken over with the pressure. I wished I had taken care of myself better and found good help." - Koula
This is why Alifeplus have been created. Inspired by individuals such as you. Our service understands that carers need to be cared for and we remove the burden of meal preparation during this time by providing you with delicious fresh home-style meals straight to your door. Having the flexibility of no minimum orders to eat well when the patients can and having the peace of mind that there will always be a healthy meal in the fridge designed for them. Giving you a cost-effective option to add back precious time into your day and allow you to take control of your own life.
We help your journey in several steps:
- To ensure you are eating the right foods, meals include discussions with your Accredited Practising Dietitian or cancer health professional based on your requirements (if you have one) otherwise you have control to customise food to your own preference.
- We understand that treatment may affect the way the patient consume food. We have catered to their needs by being able to fully customize their food. We have standard options such as vegan, meal size, calorie level, protein level, texture modifications and allergen removed options. In addition, we are able to substitute or remove any ingredient they do not wish to consume.
- Have the benefits of home cooked food without the hassle. We aim to keep the ingredients as simple and as natural as possible so you know what goes into the food. All our food include no added sugar, artificial ingredients, coloring, chemical preservatives, most ingredients are unprocessed and contain low salt, even our sauces are made in our own kitchen.
- We design our food to deliver high lean muscle building protein nutrients with no added sugar packed with superfoods in a small sized meal that can be checked by an Accredited Practising Dietitian. We also removed the ingredients which are unsuitable for patients based on Cancer Council guidelines.
- Our quality food is delivered fresh, not frozen via our refrigerated delivery service.
- Safety is the foundation we have built ourselves on. We hold a NSW Food Authority Vulnerable Populations Licence and our recipes are checked by Accredited Practising Dietitians. List of our accreditations.
- Our containers are oven and microwave safe, BPA free. Vacuum Sealed to seal in flavors while extending of food life.
- Our food is packaged for your convenience and symptoms in mind, all meals include a plastic cutlery set and flavor pack for changed taste allowing you to have more choices on our food. No more dishwashing or cleaning up!
- Carers need care too and often neglect their own diets during this journey which over time will make their job increasingly difficult. Some Carer's share the same meal with the patients as a way of supporting them. Just make sure you select the right fit! (E.g normal calories/low calories) and we trust you will also enjoy the taste of our food!
- There are no minimum orders on our meals and delivery is free for orders above $50. You can use us as little or as much as you want, we just want to be there when you need us.
Click on this button to return to our menu. You can choose individually from menu items or sign up to one of the meal plans and let Alifeplus take care of the rest for you.
Why does it matter?
Did you know that on average Australians spend 90 minutes per week on grocery shopping and an average person spends 15 hours cooking and cleaning per week? Totalling 16 hours and 30 mins we could give back to you per week.
Or that an average person spends $163 a week on grocery and $70 a week eating out? ($14 per meal for lunch/dinner) Or the average fast food meal is $11?
Did you know that malnutrition is diagnosed in 71% of cancer patients and that researchers believe that more than half of all cancers and cancer deaths are potentially preventable and well-nourished patients generally have shorter hospital stays and are better able to tolerate treatment?
Research suggests that eating well benefits people before, during and after cancer treatment.
Understand that sometimes the patients do not feel like to eat, or that during this period we forget how important nutrition is. Good nutrition compliments treatments and may help people with prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, bone cancer, skin cancer etc to:
- Maintain muscle strength, maintain a healthy weight and provide more energy. All of which can improve your quality of life.
- Manage the side effects of treatment and speed up recovery.
- Heal wounds and rebuild damaged tissues – this is important after surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other treatment.
- Improve your body’s immune system and ability to fight infections.
- May reduce the risk of cancer coming back.
Customer Review:
"During chemo, mum basically had little to no energy and whenever she did manage to cook something, she would be nauseous from the smells.
The only solution I found was to buy ready to go meals. However, most of the meals from supermarkets either tasted bland and weirdly off, looked unappealing or contain zero to no nutrients that we needed.
After finding out about Alifeplus and trying out the Salmon and Quinoa, mum was instantly hooked. She loved the convenience of this company and the quality of this dish.
5/5 for the convenience and prompt delivery, 4.5/5 for Taste"
Lucy, Patient from Sydney Adventist Hospital
We encourage you to do your due diligence and do your own research on the topic, but we trust you will find your way back here.
Financial Support:
Carers/Patients may be eligible for financial Support through the Australian Government Department of Human Services. This site includes services such as Centrelink, Medicare and their contact details:
General Support:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare provide reports and data on overview of Cancer statistics in Australia.
A variety of general information from Cancer Council:
Nutritional Support:
The Dietitians Association of Australia provides a list of Accredited Practising Dietitians in your area through their search function. You can also find out more information on what Dietitians do on this page:
Caregiver Support:
This site has tips and hints on being a caregiver and coping with having someone with cancer: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/caregiver-support
Links to Carer supports and resources:
https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers/carers
https://www.everythingcarers.org.au/resources/services-and-entitlements/
Links to Support Organisations:
https://canceraustralia.gov.au/affected-cancer/cancer-support-organisations
http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/online-resources/external-resources.html