|
|
 |
| |
|
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT |
|
Psychosocial or
emotional support aims to improve the quality of life
for women diagnosed with breast cancer as well as their
family members and it
is
a powerful platform for coping with life during
diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Our Patient Support
Team consists of breast cancer survivors who undergo
training and on-going supervision in offering
psychosocial or emotional support for women diagnosed
with breast cancer and their families. Support is given
through face to face sessions, phone calls and
electronically. These support programmers help
individuals with breast cancer and their loved ones to
cope with life during and after diagnosis and treatment. |
| |
| |
|
The Patient Support
Team members visit newly diagnosed individuals in
government and private hospitals regularly in the
initial stages of their treatment, providing them and
their family members support to help them cope
emotionally, psychologically and physically through
their diagnosis, treatment and recovery. On the first
visit, each newly diagnosed person is given a comfy kit,
consisting of a bag, a temporary prosthesis (if needed),
a stress ball, and the following publications in the
different local languages:- |
- Breast Cancer : How to Cope
- We Have Breast Cancer Too
- Nutrition and Breast Cancer
- Exercises After Breast Cancer
- Breast Self-Familiarization
- BCA Activity Book
|
| |
|
At present, the
hospitals visited by the Patient Support Team volunteers
include University Malaya Medical Centre, University
Malaya Specialist Centre, University Kebangsaan Malaysia
Medical Centre, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Pantai Hospital
Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Sungai Buloh and Hospital
Selayang. Doctors from other government and private
hospitals also refer their patients to BCA for
psychosocial support. The volunteers and staff of BCA
also manage distress calls from individuals affected by
breast cancer. |
| |
|
GROUP PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT |
|
Therapeutic, social
and emotional support activities are organized to help
women with breast cancer to deal with their treatment
and recovery, and eventually, to take control of their
lives again. In these sessions, irrespective of
educational, ethnic or social background, women with
breast cancer are able to benefit from mutual support,
fellowship and information on managing themselves. |
| |
New Patient Education Sessions : 1:00 – 2:30 pm on third
Saturdays
The Patient Support Team volunteers offer one-to-one
informal educational sessions to help newly diagnosed
women and their family members to understand and gain
knowledge about what to expect during treatment and
beyond. The sessions provide privacy and freedom for
them to express their concerns and to ask questions on
coping and managing themselves through their breast
cancer experience and making lifestyle choices. The
common issues discussed at these sessions are: |
- Fear of
treatment;
- Concerns regarding uncertainty in life;
- Breast reconstruction;
- Dietary issues;
- Complementary therapies;
- Alternative treatment;
- Self and public image;
- Employment concerns;
- Financial constraints;
- Dealing with social stigma, prejudice and
discrimination related to breast cancer;
- Logistical issues; and,
- Communication with children.
|
| |
|
Group Sharing Sessions: 2:30 – 4:30 pm on third
Saturdays |
|
Group psychosocial
support programmers are a way to provide therapeutic,
social and emotional support to help women with breast
cancer and family members to deal with the impact of
disease and treatment enabling women to regain control
of their lives. These activities conducted in a safe
environment reach out to women with breast cancer
irrespective of their educational, ethnic or social
backgrounds and enable them to benefit from the mutual
support, fellowship, experience and the sharing of
information in an informal way. Our Patient Support Team
members facilitate the sessions to ensure the
participants are not misled into biased information.
They are also available to attend to queries and to
support women through their fears and concerns regarding
mortality, suffering, dietary concerns and lifestyle
adjustment. |
| |
 |
