Create a resource list for contacts
Provide local and national contacts
Health care institutions do not always have the resources with which to provide special services for cancer survivors. However, all can provide direction about how to obtain support and information beyond the walls of the medical center, whether out in the community or from national resources.
Create a list with phone numbers and website addresses, so it is easy for cancer survivors to access the services they need, advises Erin E. Hahn, MPH, program coordinator at UCLA-LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence in Los Angeles.
Patient education managers would provide a great service to cancer survivors if they would do homework on community resources to which patients could be referred, says Barbara Andersen, PhD, program director of the Survivorship Center (member of LIVESTRONG excellence network) at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in Columbus, OH.
Generating resources would require a bit of research, telephoning, and meeting with people in the community, she adds. In smaller communities, look for resources within a 50-mile radius whether support groups or rehabilitation professionals who know how to deal with issues, such as lymphedema, says Andersen.
There are many grassroots organizations, and in many rural areas there are volunteers who have been through treatment and want to help others, says Marci Campbell, PhD, co-director of the Carolina Well Survivorship Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. She advises patient education managers to contact health departments and churches to find volunteers involved in providing support services. She says that her center is training volunteers to provide support and help problem-solve via the telephone.
The opportunity to connect with other survivors is very beneficial, says Meghan Newcomer, MPA, coordinator of the Cancer Survivorship Initiative Office of The Physician-In-Chief at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. People benefit when they can talk, e-mail, meet, or read a cancer survivor's blog online, she adds. Having the opportunity to be connected to people who have had a similar experience helps them see they are not alone, explains Newcomer.
She recommends CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services for anyone affected by cancer. The organization can be contacted at 1-800-813-HOPE or [email protected]. Programs include counseling and support groups, education, financial assistance, and practical help.
Also, Newcomer likes the nonprofit Cancer Support Community, which provides free emotional and social support services through a network of nearly 50 local affiliates.
For young adults, Newcomer suggests I Am Too Young for This! Cancer Foundation. This foundation connects young cancer survivors with age-appropriate support, forums and chat rooms, social networking, and coping literature.
Hahn notes that the Lance Armstrong Foundation offers LIVESTRONG Survivor Care, which provides free, confidential one-on-one support to cancer survivors at (866) 673-7205.
Also she recommends the Patient Advocate Foundation, which provides assistance on medical debt crisis, insurance issues, and health care access among other services. Its case management services, educational materials, and live chat services are free.
Sources
For more information, contact:
CancerCare National Office, 275 Seventh Ave., Floor 22, New York, NY 10001. Telephone: (212) 712-8400. Web site: www.cancercare.org.
Cancer Support Community, 919 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. Telephone: (202) 659-9709. Web site: www.cancersupportcommunity.org.
I Am Too Young for This! Cancer Foundation, 40 Worth St., Suite 801, New York, NY 10013. Telephone: (877) 735-4673. Web site: www.i2y.com.
Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Survivor Care, 2201 E. Sixth St., Austin, TX 78702. Telephone: (866) 673-7205. Web site: www.livestrong.org.
Patient Advocate Foundation, 421 Butler Farm Road, Hampton, VA 23666. Telephone: (800) 532-5274. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.patientadvocate.org.
Health care institutions do not always have the resources with which to provide special services for cancer survivors. However, all can provide direction about how to obtain support and information beyond the walls of the medical center, whether out in the community or from national resources.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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