Providing Emotional Support for Cancer Patients

Life can change in an instant; never is that more apparent than when someone gets a cancer diagnosis.

“Many times they don’t have time for their emotions to catch up with the shock that’s happened,” says Rebecca Rand.
Rebecca Rand is a front-liner in the emotional arena. As a social worker at the Regional Cancer Center, she counsels people along their journey from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.
“Sometimes they haven’t spoken of their feelings and they’re going through the medical process and they need someone to listen,” says Rand.
Life becomes an overload of information; adding anxiety on top of illness. Specialized cancer navigators are also part of the support team.
“They’re seeing so many doctors; so we try to explain to them what what’s going on and what their treatment is going to look like,” says Kathy Dunne, who is a cancer navigator with Lee Memorial Health System.
It is a fairly new approach: treating a cancer patient’s emotional needs and not just the physical ones. What experts are finding is that paying attention to people’s wellbeing may be a secret weapon, actually helping on both fronts.
“It’s the mind/body/spirit of when you’re going through a process and you’re dealing with illness. We find that how a person’s outlook is will determine how they respond well to therapy,” says Rand.
Staying mentally strong may give patients the boost they need in their time of need. And it’s now becoming a standard part of cancer care.
“Absolutely. That, what this is all about, is looking at the whole patient,” says Dunne.

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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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