Value of Counselling to Cancer Care Marita Poll, Clinical - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Value of Counselling to Cancer Care Marita Poll, Clinical Counsellor Patient and Family Counselling Services BC Cancer, Victoria Centre May 2019 1

Learning Objectives • Gain understanding of the value of counselling within cancer care • Increase awareness of psychosocial issues throughout cancer continuum • Reflect on the challenges for psychosocial programs within medical cancer care • Q & A 2

Recently… • PET Scan – Victoria/Vancouver • Psycho-social assessment of patient capacity – Medically/physically fragile – Financially struggling – Limited social support – Compromised coping capacity 3

Value of Counselling • Value to Health Care Providers: – If a patient is coping well, they require less resources – Well-resourced and regulated patients move through the experience: • more efficiently • better quality of life • ambassadors (new patients reassured by their experience) 4

Value of Counselling • Psychosocial oncology provides services to the patient and family to assist them navigate medical cancer care: – psychologically – physically – socially – practically 5

Value of Counselling • Cancer care (dx & tx) is a prolonged experience – diagnosis and treatment information provided and treatment given is stressful – intrusive (especially in terms of volume of appointments and recovery time) – can be difficult both physically and psychologically 6

Value of Counselling • Counselling can: – calm nervous system – decrease physical and psychological stress – create affect regulation – increase understanding – decrease a sense of aloneness 7

Value of Counselling • Can be honest with counsellor – don’t need to protect the counsellor – can’t share the difficult emotions with family/friends • desire to “protect” and “not be a burden” – family: difficult to witness a beloved struggle or suffer 8

Value of Counselling • Navigation of the cancer experience: – learn about common experiences and milestones for cancer patients/family • Assistance with health care system navigation (GP, Island Health Authority, BC Cancer ) 9

Value of Counselling • Learn skills for: – stress management – depression management – anxiety management – affect regulation • Access information and resources to improve needs being met 10

Value of Counselling • What does Patient & Family Counselling Offer? – Counselling Services – Patient Education workshops – Support Groups – Specialized Services 11

RELAXATION GROUP CANCER TRANSITIONS PARTNERS GROUP Post-treatment Wellness Workshop For Spouses of patients with advanced or Every Thursday metastatic cancer • 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Nutrition & Exercise • Monthly Meetings Coping Skills & Strategies 4 th Thursday DROP-IN SESSIONS 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Call (250) 519-5525 to register Call Laura @ 250-519-5528 to register HEAD & NECK SUPPORT PATIENT & FAMILY COUNSELLING ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP PROVIDES: “LIVE” WRITTEN CHAT • Monthly Meetings ******* PROFESSIONAL 4 th Tuesday COUNSELLING 10:30 – 12:00 am COUNSELLOR LED • INFORMATION & ******* REFERRALS PATIENTS & CAREGIVERS • DROP-IN SESSIONS THIS SERVICE IS PART OF http://cancerchat.desouzainstitute.com YOUR CANCER CARE, THERE IS NO COST 1-844-725-2476 BRAIN TUMOUR SUPPORT THERAPEUTIC TOUCH CLINIC PATIENT EDUCATION SERIES • GROUP Mindfulness Meditation • 1 st and 3 rd Wednesday of • Brain Strength • each month, by Fear of Recurrence Monthly Meetings appointment • The New Normal • 2nd Wednesday • For patients in treatment Return to Work 10:30 am – 12:00 pm or experiencing symptoms Call (250) 519-5525 DROP-IN SESSIONS REGISTRATION REQUIRED 1-800-670-3322, EXT 5525 Call (250) 519-5525 For More Information Website Resource: www.bccancer.bc.ca/health-info/coping- with-cancer OVARIAN & ADVANCED COLORECTAL EDUCATION SESSIONS MEN & WOMEN WITH METASTATIC GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 2 nd & 4 th Wednesday SUPPORT GROUP of each month Monthly Meetings 3 rd Friday Monthly Meetings 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm 3 rd Thursday 10:30 am – noon REGISTRATION REQUIRED Call Marita @ 250 519 5524 DROP-IN SESSIONS (250) 519-5525 to register

Victoria Center - Patient and Family Counselling - 2019 Workshops January 30 th , 10:30am-12pm – Living With Your “New Normal”: Common Reactions After Cancer February 15 th – Expressive Arts Sessions for Children March 11 th , 18 th & 25 th , 2pm-4pm – Mindfulness Course: Skills to Enhance Wellbeing ฀ April 11 th & 28 th , 10am-2pm – Strategies to Manage Fear of Recurrence May 13 th & 27 th , 9:00am-4:30pm – Cancer Transitions: Post Treatment Wellness Program June 13 th , 10:30am-12pm - Tools to Relax and Improve Your Sleep

Cancer is Complex

Patient Experience Along Continuum of Care • Diagnosis – stress and coping (acute need at diagnosis, throughout) – system navigation – treatment decision making – talking to children – finances (e.g., income replacement) 15

Patient Experience Along Continuum of Care • Treatment – body image (during treatment through 1 year post) – symptom management – relationships – finances (medication coverage) – practical (accommodation, transportation, support) 16

Patient Experience Along Continuum of Care • Post-treatment – adjustment/changes due to diagnosis and treatment – integrating the experience (grief, assumptive world) – fear of recurrence – length of time to develop “stamina” (whole being) – return to work – focus on health and wellness 17

Patient Experience Along Continuum of Care • Recurrence – depression and hope – serious illness conversation – grief & loss, change & adjustment – impact of recurrence on family and finances 18

Patient Experience Along Continuum of Care • Living with an Advanced Disease – “foot in both worlds” – balancing profound and mundane – depression (facing mortality) and hope (living, QoL) – Medical Assistance in Dying – impact on family – Immunotherapy: palliative becomes more complex, unknown 19

Patient Experience Along Continuum of Care • End of Life – life review, meaning, exploring existential concerns – practical (legal, financial, arrangements) – grief, depression, boredom • Bereavement – bereavement counselling and referrals – navigating the grief experience (palliative for over 1-2 years*) 20

Challenges for Psychosocial within Medical Cancer Care • Our Challenge: – Integrating psychosocial care within cancer care – Increasing awareness: • Patient and Family Counselling are resources for health care providers and cancer care system • Psycho-social programs (staff, patients) • Increasing awareness the psycho-social has a physical basis (L/R hemisphere, triune brain) 21

• Q & A, Discussion 22