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People with cancer, their loved ones and carers will usually need Personal Support at some stage in the cancer journey. Sometimes they need help in recognizing their concerns before they can even start to address them. Many find enormous value in sharing their journey, researching their illness and playing an active role in the experience. There are a host of options that provide different types and levels of personal support during cancer diagnosis, treatment and post treatment. Personal Support is grouped into the following sub-categories:
Many people diagnosed with cancer find it helpful to talk about their feelings and might find comfort in a cancer support group. In a Cancer Support Group there is mutual sharing of experiences and information. There are over 140 Cancer Support Groups throughout Victoria. Some Cancer Support Groups are dedicated to a particular tumour stream eg Breast, while others have been developed as general cancer groups, or as a group for young people only. There are several such Cancer Support Groups in the Loddon Mallee Region, many of which also operate within a social environment. Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) offers a 1-day training course for Cancer Support Group members and/or facilitators. Some Cancer Support Groups are affiliated with CCV. This involves an agreement that the Cancer Support Group is non-profit making and will provide CCV with an annual update report providing an overview of group attendance and activities. The facilitor and/or other members of the Group must also attend at least 2- 4 hours of cancer related education each year. Finally, the Group must adhere to the CCV policies relating to confidentiality, providing treatment advice and advocating unproven treatments. They must keep all records in a safe manner. There are education courses available for people with cancer and their carers and family. They are sometimes specific to a cancer stream, but many offer support and information across all cancer streams. Some courses are designed to provide strategies to assist you to live with your disease, others are about being a cancer survivor. For information on courses outside the Loddon Mallee area contact the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20. Cancer can have a profound impact on the life of your family and loved ones. For children whose parent or caregiver has cancer there are local resources:
When a person is diagnosed with cancer, they and their loved ones need access to quality information in order to make informed treatment choices. Just how much information a patient needs during cancer treatment can vary dramatically. Many feel that it is important for them to research deeply about their cancer and treatment, and for them it is important to ask for assistance from their treatment team. And even after you have completed treatment - you have 'survived' - it is common to have uncertainties and reactions which you need to explore. Information may come as written Resources such as booklets, books, DVDs, research papers and internet websites. It may also be provided verbally by the Specialist Cancer Nurse, the GP or members of the treatment team. Additionally, there are a range of service providers who provide information, including the Cancer Cancer Victoria on 13 11 20. When dealing with clinical matters, it is common to encounter technical words that are difficult to understand. For this reason we provide links to a number of websites that provide a Glossary of terms. It is important to remember that not all information may be relevant to you. Treatment options will depend on the type and location of the cancer, and will be tailored to your individual circumstances. Ask the members of your treatment team to clarify any queries you may have. There are resources available to assist. Increasingly we are turning to the internet as our main source of information. The internet is quick and private in accessing information. In this sub-category we list support groups as well as professional support which operate via the internet. Elsewhere in this website we provide Links to a number of internet sites which might assist you in your research. We also provide the website address of any service provider listed in the Hume Cancer Services Directory. Be mindful that when researcing a cancer or its treatment it is possible that a person becomes confused and anxious with the breadth of information available on the internet. It is also difficult to assess the value of the information as the internet is not filtered and may contain inaccurate information. It is advisable that you discuss your internet research with your Specialist Cancer Nurse or other members of your treatment team. They will be able to assist you in assessing the quality of the information found on the internet. There are a number of organisations which provide their information translated into different languages. Also, the Health Translations Directory provides links to health information translated into community languages. This directory links to online multilingual health resources from government departments, peak health bodies, hospitals, community health centres and welfare agencies. You can search by topic, by language, or both. There are a number of supports available via the telephone, some specific to people with cancer and others to their carers whilst some offer more general support to those in need, for example someone suffering acute anxiety. Telephone support is particularly relevant to those who live in a rural area or are socially isolated. There are a number of organisations which provide support to young people with cancer. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 January 2009 13:27 ) |
