Do You Have a Question About Caregiving? Ask CancerCare.

January 15, 2013

Caregivers of people with cancer face many challenges, and may have questions about how to provide emotional and practical support to their loved one.

CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers will answer your questions about caregiving during January. Submit a question at www.cancercare.org/questions.

You can also browse our archive of past questions on many different cancer-related topics, all of which were answered by a professional oncology social worker.

View all of CancerCare’s resources on caregiving.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Helping the Siblings of a Child with Cancer

September 4, 2012

After learning of a brother or sister’s cancer diagnosis, siblings may experience a wide range of emotions including anger, confusion, fear, guilt, or even jealousy. Children who are unable or unwilling to talk about their feelings may resort to displaying challenging behavior.

CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller, LCSW offers helpful advice about how to help siblings of a child with cancer in a new article in Oncology Nurse Advisor. In the article, Miller explains how open communication about cancer and its treatment can help siblings cope better, feel less isolated, and experience fewer behavioral problems.

Read the article.

The professional oncology social workers at CancerCare understand the unique needs of children affected by cancer, and provide free professional counseling as well as recreational and therapeutic activities for children.

Learn more about our services for children coping with a cancer diagnosis.

CancerCare also offers specific resources that address the concerns of siblings of children with cancer, including our fact sheet, “Helping the Siblings of a Child with Cancer.”

 

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Free Workshops and Wig and Prosthesis Clinics

July 25, 2012

CancerCare’s free, professional support services include face-to-face workshops and wig and prosthesis clinics at our New York City office. Our workshops taking place in August and September include:

We offer free wig clinics (August 10 and 24; September 14 and 21) and breast prosthesis clinics (August 8 and 22; September 12 and 19) by appointment.

CancerCare also provides free wigs by appointment in our Norwalk, CT, and Ridgewood, NJ offices.

View a full calendar of our upcoming community programs and clinics.

Registration is required for all of our programs; call 800-813-HOPE (4673) or visit www.cancercare.org/community_programs for more information.

Don’t live in the tri-state area of New York? We can help you locate resources in your community. Contact us at info@cancercare.org; or call 800‑813‑HOPE (4673) and a CancerCare oncology social worker can refer you to local resources.

 

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Free Booklets on Caregiving and Talking to Children About Cancer

July 19, 2012

Two of CancerCare’s most popular Connect booklets, Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer and Helping Children When a Family Member Has Cancer, have been completely redesigned and are back in stock. Each booklet can be ordered free of charge from our online order form.

Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer provides many helpful tips for helping a loved one coping with cancer, including:

  • Ways to provide emotional support
  • How to care for a loved one who lives far away
  • Tips for taking care of your own health
  • Strategies for coping with the difficult emotions brought on by caregiving

Learn more about our free resources for caregivers.

 

Helping Children When a Family Has Cancer explains the importance of communicating with children about cancer, and offers tips for:

  • Disclosing a cancer diagnosis
  • Discussing treatment side effects
  • Talking about a loved one’s prognosis

View all of our services that help children cope with cancer.

 

 

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

CNN Profiles CancerCare Oncology Social Worker

July 12, 2012

CancerCare oncology social worker Richard “Rick” Dickens, LCSW-R, shares his story of coping with cancer in a new segment airing on CNN’s “Human Factor.” The program, which profiles extraordinary individuals who have overcome challenging odds, is narrated by CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Rick first came to CancerCare as a client after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and participated in a support group for young adults coping with cancer. Interacting with other support group members helped Rick realize he wasn’t alone in his journey. The group gave him emotional support as well as valuable insight into his diagnosis and life after treatment.

Rick joined the staff of CancerCare as a professional oncology social worker in 1997, moderating the support group he had previously attended. As CancerCare’s Mind/Body Project Coordinator, Rick incorporates practices such as visualization and meditation into his counseling to help people cope with difficult emotions and find a sense of peace.

Watch the CNN segment and read his blog:

Read more about Rick’s journey as a cancer survivor.

Rick recently answered questions about using mind/body practices to cope with cancer as an “Ask CancerCare” featured expert.

Learn more about CancerCare’s resources on mind/body and relaxation practices.

 

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Free Services for People Coping with Breast Cancer

July 2, 2012

A breast cancer diagnosis can present many medical, emotional, and practical challenges. CancerCare offers free support services for people coping with breast cancer and their caregivers, including counseling, support groups, financial help, and Connect Education Workshops.

On Friday, July 20, leading experts in breast cancer treatment will answer listeners’ questions during our Connect Education Workshop, “Caring for Your Bones When You Have Breast Cancer,” at 1:30pm EST. Register for the workshop.

CancerCare has also collaborated with the Cancer Support Community, Eisai Inc., and the Meals On Wheels Association of America to launch Magnolia Meals at HomeTM, a program that delivers free, nutritious meals to breast cancer patients living within a 20-25 mile radius of Woodcliff Lake, NJ, or Andover, MA. The program was recently expanded to include eligible women in all of Bergen County, NJ.

Metastatic breast cancer or breast cancer patients are eligible to enroll if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  •  Currently undergoing chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy
  •  Underwent chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the last 3 months
  •  Have been discharged from a hospital (admission was cancer related) in the last 3 months
  • Receiving adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment

People coping with metastatic breast cancer, as well as breast cancer patients who are in active treatment or have received treatment within the past three months, may enroll to receive meals once a month for six months from their local Meals On Wheels.  Each delivery will include up to seven meals for the patient and 10 meals for family members.

Patients of any income level are eligible to receive the meals as long as they meet the other criteria listed in the application form. To learn more about the specific areas of service, contact Kathy Nugent, LCSW, Director of Social Services, at knugent@cancercare.org or (201) 301-6809.

View all of CancerCare’s free services for people coping with breast cancer.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

CancerCare Social Workers Share Expertise at AOSW’s Annual Conference

June 27, 2012

CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers recently shared their expertise with social workers from around the country during the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) Annual Conference in Boston, MA. 

CancerCare professional oncology social worker Christine Rubin

Christine Rubin, LMSW offered practical solutions for caregivers to practice better communication with a loved one coping with cancer.

Liz Ezra, LMSW presented on how social workers can take patients’ and caregivers’ spirituality into account to help them better address their concerns.

Maria Chi, LCSW spoke about the value of using non-warfare metaphors to describe the cancer experience.

Carolyn Messner, DSW presented on effective ways to reach diverse patient and survivor populations. During the conference, Carolyn was named “Oncology Social Worker of the Year.” Read more about Carolyn’s accomplishment.

Sarah Kelly, LCSW spoke about health literacy among older adults facing cancer. Sarah’s presentation was awarded “Best Poster Presentation” at the conference.

The AOSW Annual Conference is the largest meeting of social workers in the country, and we are proud to continue to be recognized as experts in helping people cope with cancer.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Helping Children Understand Cancer

April 9, 2012

It’s important to communicate openly with children when a family member has cancer, as children understand cancer differently than adults and teens.

“Don’t be afraid to use the word ‘cancer’ when talking to your children,” says CancerCare professional oncology social worker Nicole DiMartino. “If they aren’t told the truth, they might imagine that things are worse than they really are, or even that they themselves are the cause of the cancer.”

CancerCare offers tips for communicating with children about cancer in our updated fact sheet, “Helping Children Understand Cancer: Talking to Your Kids About Your Diagnosis.” Among the suggestions offered:

  • Give your children accurate, age-appropriate information. If you don’t talk to your kids about cancer, they may invent their own explanations.
  • Set the tone. Use a calm, reassuring voice even if you become sad. This will help children see that you are trying to cope, and help them do the same.
  • Allow children to participate in caregiving. Give them age-appropriate tasks, such as bringing the person with cancer a glass of water or extra blanket. These small gestures are meaningful ways for children to provide comfort and demonstrate their love.

Read the fact sheet, or order free copies.

Talking to children about cancer isn’t easy, but CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers are here to help. We offer free services that help families cope with a cancer diagnosis, including counseling, support groups, and publications. 

Learn more about how we help children cope with a cancer diagnosis.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Tenth Annual Survivorship Series Begins April 24

March 28, 2012

CancerCare, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Survivorship and Office of Communications and Education, LIVESTRONG, American Cancer Society, Intercultural Cancer Council, Living Beyond Breast Cancer and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, is pleased to invite you to participate in a free, four-part workshop series: The Tenth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through, and Beyond Cancer.

The series will take place on Tuesdays, from 1:30-2:30 pm Eastern Time – April 24, May 15, June 19 and July 17. You can listen to these workshops on the telephone or via live streaming through the internet.

This free series is made possible by support from the National Cancer Institute and LIVESTRONG and offers cancer survivors, their families, friends and health care professionals practical information to help them cope with concerns that arise after treatment ends.  

Part I, Using Mind/Body Techniques to Cope with the Stress of Survivorship, will be presented on April 24th.  

The faculty for this program includes:

  • Richard Dickens, MSW, Survivor Perspective, Clinical Supervisor, Mind/Body Project Coordinator, CancerCare 
  • Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, Professor and Director, Integrative Medicine Program, Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 
  • David Spiegel, MD, Jack, Lulu and Sam Willson Professor in the School of Medicine, Associate Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine

Subsequent workshops in the series are:  

  • Part II, Recapturing Joy and Finding Meaning– May 15th 
  • Part III, Changing Roles and Responsibilities for Caregivers– June 19th 
  • Part IV, Managing Post-Treatment Neuropathy– July 17th 

These workshops are free – no phone charges apply.  However, pre-registration is required.  To register, and for more information, simply go to the CancerCare website, www.cancercare.org/connect

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Cancer Pain Can Be Managed

March 22, 2012

Cancer pain can be physically and emotionally exhausting, but it is possible to manage, writes CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller, LCSW, ACSW, in the latest edition of Oncology Nurse Advisor.

Along with advances in pain medication treatments, emotional and practical support have been shown to help patients better manage their pain and experience a better quality of life, notes Miller. Also beneficial are “skill-based interventions” such as learning meditation techniques or yoga.

Miller’s article cites the results of a recent study that found patients were able to better control their pain after learning about pain management techniques from their health care team members, or from reading educational materials.

Read the article.

CancerCare provides pain-management information in our free publications, Controlling Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know to Get Relief, and “Opening the Door to Effective Pain Management.” Leading medical experts also addressed pain-management techniques during CancerCare’s Connect Education Workshop, “Coping with Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know.”

Learn more about CancerCare’s free resources about pain management.

Read about mind/body and relaxation techniques in our free fact sheet, “Relaxation Techniques and Mind/Body Practices.”

CancerCare also offers in-person mind/body workshops at our national office in New York City, led by a professional oncology social worker.

Register for these upcoming free workshops:

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

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