Location: RCH & Southern Health (Monash Medical Centre)
Funding Requirement: up to $35,000 per annum
Funding Period: (Year): Once off
Aim of Project:
To establish a range of coordinated workshop style programs for children and their families attending the CCC at MMC, RCH and regional partnership sites.
Description of service:
The diagnosis of a life threatening illness such as childhood cancer is proven to have major psychological impact on the child, their family and their wider social environment. Not only are children with cancer subjected to long periods of hospitalisation, painful procedures and uncertainty of prognosis, they also face emotional, financial, physical and social disruption as they learn to adjust and cope with their illness. Anxiety and depression are not limited to the patient and can be experienced by other family members including parents, grandparents and siblings. Social isolation, cultural issues for some family groups and changes or alterations to body image are often consequences of a diagnosis of cancer and many survivors of childhood cancer and their parents experience moderate to severe symptoms of post traumatic stress. Research of social supports for cancer patients, demonstrates that increased psychosocial support is a protective and therapeutic factor for families and can have numerous positive impacts on the child, parents, siblings and extended family. Group programs are widely used as a therapeutic tool for children, siblings and families. This project aims to:
- identify and agree to a range of programs to be delivered
- document key principles and elements of each program
- identify recommended methods and techniques for delivery
- evaluate the program content and delivery
- coordinate allied health, medical and nursing staff to contribute to the programs
- establish a resource pack for regional centres
- establish a training program for regional partners
- evaluate all programs for outcomes
- establish resource requirements for new programs
- deliver the new programs on an annual basis across the State