Support Programs, Nutrition, Hospice, and Cancer Registry

Each patient undergoes a patient orientation process during which they receive Providence’s Care Companion, a comprehensive guide to what they’ll experience as a patient with cancer.  All patients are also invited to Learning about Cancer, a class that teaches patients about their disease and its treatment.  Patients receiving chemotherapy may also receive special education about their treatment.

Cancer affects the person with the disease as well as his or her loved ones.  Providence’s social workers provide emotional support and help with home care needs through various programs, including individual, couple and family counseling, programs for children of cancer patients, bereavement support groups, caregiver support groups, a series for women, groups for men with prostate cancer, and Look Good Feel Better, a group sponsored by the American Cancer Society that supports women who may experience changes in their appearance as a result of treatment.

Providence’s Pastoral Care team provides spiritual support to patients and loved ones during hospitalization or outpatient treatment.

Providence provides caring and compassionate palliative care up to and including inpatient hospice care.  Palliative care alleviates symptoms of advanced cancer when treatment is not successful.  For all members of Providence’s team, the goal is to improve or maintain their patients’ quality of life.

Proper nutrition helps people tolerate cancer treatment, fight infection and avoid weight loss.  Registered dietitians, trained to address the special needs of people with cancer, work with patients and families on planning and preparing nutritious meals.
 

The Providence Cancer Registry conducts lifetime follow-up of cancer patients.  The data generated by the Cancer Registry gives physicians the ability to assess the results of their diagnostic and treatment efforts on a long-term basis