Supportive Care Program
What is Supportive Care?
The Supportive Care Program offers many resources, professional staff and
services that will support patients and their families during their cancer
journey – from the time patients are diagnosed through to the end of their
treatment.
Who Receives Supportive Care?
Supportive Care is offered to all patients and their families. Patients
can ask their Supportive Care Coordinator for information to learn
more about the services and resources available.
Who Provides Supportive Care?
The Supportive Care Program has a Supportive Care Team that consists of a number of different cancer care professionals. They are available to provide patients with information, education, practical and emotional support, nutritional therapy, rehabilitation, spiritual care and pain and symptom management.
The Supportive Care Team includes:
Supportive Care Coordinator
(SCC)
Oncologist or Hematologist
Pain and Symptom
Management (P&SM) Physician
Nurse (RN)
Pharmacist
Radiation Therapist
Social Worker (SW)
Physiotherapist (PT)
Registered Dietitian (RD)
Occupational Therapist (OT)
Spiritual Care Provider
Volunteers
Secretaries
Supportive Care
Coordinator (SCC)
Each patient is connected with a Supportive Care Coordinator Nurse at the
first outpatient clinic visit. He or she will become the main contact person
to help patients with any questions or concerns they may have during their
treatment. The Supportive Care Coordinator acts as a link for the patient,
the Supportive Care Team, and resources in the community to help patients
during their cancer treatment.
Oncologist or Hematologist
Medical Oncologists, Radiation Oncologists and Hematologists are all doctors
who specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer.
Pain and
Symptom Management (P&SM) Physician
Pain and Symptom Management Physicians are available for consultation. They
help manage complex symptoms resulting from illness or treatment.
Nurse (RN)
There are many nurses working at the GRRCC. Oncology Nurse Specialists are
Registered Nurses who specialize in cancer care. Nurses work in the
Outpatient clinics, Chemotherapy Suite, Radiation Review and Inpatient
Oncology.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists work closely with Oncologists and the Supportive Care Team. They
are clinically trained to evaluate chemotherapy treatment, provide drug
information and make recommendations on medication-related issues.
Radiation Therapists
Radiation Therapists work with Radiation Oncologists to plan and deliver radiation treatments and monitor any side effects of treatment.
Social Worker (SW)
Social workers provide assistance, information, support and counseling to
help patients and their families, and help patients with their emotional
wellness and quality of life.
Physiotherapist (PT)
Physiotherapists are trained to assess and treat joint stiffness, muscle
weakness, swelling and pain, and provide education about exercise to
patients. Special services offered at the Cancer Centre include preventing
and treating lymphedema.
Registered Dietitian (RD)
Registered Dietitians provide nutrition information and education to
patients and their families. This service helps patients improve and
maintain their strength and energy, stay at a healthy weight, manage the
side effects of their therapy, and recover faster from their treatments.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
Occupational Therapists help patients and their families in managing daily
activities that are important to them in the areas of caring for themselves,
work and spare time.
Spiritual Care Provider
Care for one’s spirit is an important part of any journey. Spiritual Care
involves all faith traditions, including individuals who do not belong to a
faith community. Spiritual Care Providers work with patients and their
families, their Supportive Care Team and local spiritual caregivers.
Volunteers
All of our volunteers have been carefully screened and have attended
training programs specific to their placement in the GRRCC. The volunteers
help to make your visit as easy and comfortable for you as possible.
Secretaries
Secretaries in the Outpatient Clinics, Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
Programs schedule tests, book appointments and support the patients’
treatment process. If patients need to change an appointment, the secretary
can be reached through the automated telephone line.
Please ask your Supportive Care Coordinator for more information.
Where do you receive Supportive Care?
Supportive Care is provided to patients and their families throughout the
GRRCC and Inpatient Oncology unit within Grand River Hospital. If a patient
receives care at clinics in Mount Forest, Guelph or Cambridge hospitals,
every attempt is made to offer supportive care as close to home as possible.
Patient Education and Wellness Workshops
The New Patient Orientation sessions are led by volunteers, and all Wellness Workshops are led by members of the health care team. Workshops currently available:
- New Patient Orientation
- Healthy Eating (2 different workshops)
- Practical and Emotional Resources to Help You Cope
- Cancer-Related Fatigue: Taking Charge (3 different workshops)
- Introduction to Chemotherapy
To view the calendar of upcoming sessions and workshops, click here.
Patient Orientation Resource Guide
A Patient Orientation Resource Guide will be sent to most patients prior to, or at their first outpatient clinic appointment. The resource guide introduces new patients to the services available at the GRRCC and helps them to prepare for their first clinic appointment. Click here to download the Patient Orientation Resource Guide in PDF format (850KB).