Social
Work Dept.,
Psychosocial
Support for
Cancer Patients
In addition to the many support
groups offered, Huntington Hospital’s social
workers also offer individual psychosocial support
to patients. The Social Work Department provides
a full-time, dedicated Oncology Social Worker
to assist patients by providing individual, group,
and family counseling, education, advocacy, discharge
planning, and bereavement counseling.
For more information, please call Oncology Social
Worker Susan Degnan, CSW, at
(631) 351-2013.
Dietary
Dept./Nutritional
Support
Maintaining
a balanced diet is often difficult for patients
undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.
Yet adequate nutrition is vital in the fight
against cancer. Registered dietitians in the
hospital’s Dietary Department provide
nutritional counseling to cancer patients who
stay overnight at the hospital. Outpatients
may find a dietitian for nutritional
counseling at www.eatright.org, www.eatrightli.org,
or at 1-800-4LIDIET.
Center for Complementary Care
Huntington Hospital’s
Center for Complementary Care offers evidence-based
complementary medicine techniques on an outptient
basis. This includes massage, meditation, and
yoga –
techniques that have been shown in clinical research
to enhance the healing process by helping patients
manage the stress related effects of chronic
and acute illnesses such as cancer.
All programs at Huntington are offered by fully
credentialed and licensed professionals, many
of whom are also registered nurses on the hospital’s
staff. There is a nominal fee for services provided
by the Center for Complementary Care. For additional
information, please call (631) 547-7173.
"Prepare
for Surgery, Heal Faster" Workshop
One of the most well-received
programs of Huntington Hospital’s Center
for Complementary Care is the “Prepare
for Surgery, Heal Faster”
workshop. Taught by a registered nurse with more
than 15 years experience in integrative and complementary
medicine techniques, the program is based on
the work of a Boston psychotherapist who conducted
much of her preliminary work at Harvard University.
During the 90-minute workshop, individuals learn
to use imagery, meditation, breathing techniques,
and positive healing statements to lessen their
anxiety and help them achieve a quicker, more
pain-free recovery from surgery. (more
info)
Certified
Bereavement
Counseling
Program
The
Don Monti Cancer Center at Huntington Hospital
has developed a Bereavement Care Program to
help those who struggle with the loss of a
loved one. Click
here for more information.
Palliative Care Program
Huntington
Hospital’s Palliative Care Program has
helped scores of patients, families, and healthcare
professionals face the end of life with dignity
and comfort. The Program consists of a multidisciplinary
team of professionals who provide consultations
to hospitalized patients in response to requests
from attending physicians, hospital staff,
or family members.
The Program is strictly a consultation service.
Team members never write orders for patients;
they only make recommendations to physicians
and family members based on a thorough evaluation
of the patient. Attention is paid to the patient’s
medical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual
needs. Physicians and family members make the
ultimate decision about whether or not to heed
the team’s recommendations.
Depending on the situation, the Palliative Care
team might recommend hospice care, nursing home
placement, or comfort care, in which aggressive
therapy is halted but the patient is provided
with pain and symptom control. Newly developed
medications as well as new drug delivery methods,
such as transdermal patches that enable medication
to be absorbed through the skin, are making it
possible for patients to achieve highly effective
pain and symptom control.
At Huntington Hospital, the Palliative Care
Program is staffed by physicians, social workers,
and nurses, all of whom volunteer to assist with
the service. For additional information on the
Palliative Care Program, please call (631) 351-2522.
Support for families of cancer patients
Because
cancer affects the entire family, Huntington
Hospital offers a program to help spouses and
children cope with their loved ones’ diagnosis.
Funded by a grant from the New York State Department
of Health, the two pronged program provides
education and support to the partners of cancer
patients so that they in turn can effectively
support their loved one through treatment and
beyond. Couples are also given a comprehensive
tool-kit to enable them to effectively communicate
with their young children about cancer. In
addition, oncology social workers and pediatric
nurses respond to a special hotline for concerned
parents, offering guidance and information.
Along with advice and referrals to additional
resources, age-appropriate packets of information
are available. The hotline number for parents
is (631) 351-2013. For additional information
or to register for the support program, please
call (631) 351-2568.
Cancer Survivor’s
Day
Since 2003, Huntington Hospital has
hosted an annual Cancer Survivors’ Day
celebration on the hospital grounds. This enjoyable
event brings cancer survivors, their guests and
the healthcare professionals who cared for them
together for an uplifting reunion and celebration
of life. In addition to a delicious luncheon,
participants hear inspiring testimonials from
fellow cancer survivors. Important information
about the latest treatments in the fight against
cancer is also provided by the staff of Huntington
Hospital’s Don Monti Cancer Center.
Click
here for photos from Cancer
Survivor's Day 2007
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