Authors
- Gabrielle Asprey1,
- Sally Carveth1,
- Kim Pearce1
- Cancer Council New South Wales1
2018
Excerpt
Introduction: Telephone support groups (TSGs) are beneficial for people diagnosed with cancer, their carers and for the bereaved1. Connecting with others helps ease feelings of isolation, integrates losses and brings psychosocial relief.
Objectives: The TSG Program objective is to bring together people with metastatic and poor prognosis cancers, carers and those who are bereaved, to provide them with a place to connect, share thoughts and fears about end of life and to explore grief and bereavement.
Approach: The TSG Program utilises a Mutual Aid/Peer Support model. Facilitators are trained health professionals, acknowledged as providing positive benefits to participants2. Discussions are lead by participants. Cancer-specific and Carer TSGs are open groups, held twice monthly. Bereavement groups are a six-session closed format.
Practice Implications: Psychosocial and emotional benefits are gained through participants talking in a safe space about the realities of end of life. Anticipatory grief, loss, bereavement and existential concerns are normalised. Facilitators learn from the lived-experience of participants and apply these in practice to develop quality support services for people affected by cancer.
Conclusions: Cancer Council has a unique opportunity to connect people affected by cancer to enable them to explore their grief and have conversations about approaching death and dying.
Objectives: The TSG Program objective is to bring together people with metastatic and poor prognosis cancers, carers and those who are bereaved, to provide them with a place to connect, share thoughts and fears about end of life and to explore grief and bereavement.
Approach: The TSG Program utilises a Mutual Aid/Peer Support model. Facilitators are trained health professionals, acknowledged as providing positive benefits to participants2. Discussions are lead by participants. Cancer-specific and Carer TSGs are open groups, held twice monthly. Bereavement groups are a six-session closed format.
Practice Implications: Psychosocial and emotional benefits are gained through participants talking in a safe space about the realities of end of life. Anticipatory grief, loss, bereavement and existential concerns are normalised. Facilitators learn from the lived-experience of participants and apply these in practice to develop quality support services for people affected by cancer.
Conclusions: Cancer Council has a unique opportunity to connect people affected by cancer to enable them to explore their grief and have conversations about approaching death and dying.