Cancer Social Work
Comprehensive, compassionate support for you and your loved ones, as you cope with practical, social, emotional, and spiritual concerns.
Our Support Groups
Leukemia, Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma Support Group - Meets monthly on the first Thursday from 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm. Middlesex Health Cancer Center Radiation Department Reception Area
Look Good ... Feel Better - Meets the fourth Monday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All women undergoing cancer treatment are welcome to attend this FREE program to learn to cope with appearance-related side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Tai Chi For Cancer Survivors - Weekly on Tuesday from 10:00 am - 11:00 am at the Burris Center for Integrative Medicine Group Meeting Room. Studies have shown that tai chi improves quality of life, balance, agility, flexibility and muscle tone in cancer survivors.
Middlesex Health is home to a multidisciplinary team of licensed clinical social workers, a psychiatric APRN, and a chaplain. These expert caregivers work in close coordination with your physicians, Nurse Navigators, and other providers. They also maintain well-established connections in the community, to ensure that you can be connected to the resources you need to cope with a wide range of concerns.
Fighting cancer can take its toll—not only on the body, but on the mind and spirit, as well. Distress is a normal response when you or someone you love receives a diagnosis of cancer.
Distress covers a wide range of emotions, including powerlessness, anger, sadness, fear, depression, anxiety, and panic. In addition to your emotions, distress may also affect your thoughts and behavior. Many people describe this as "not feeling like themselves."
Distress may become apparent in a number of areas of your life. It is not unusual to find yourself suddenly having to deal with:
- Practical concerns: work, financial, insurance, transportation issues
- Family problems: relationship changes with your partner and/or children
- Emotional problems: depression, anxiety, mood changes, fatigue, insomnia
- Spiritual/religious concerns: grief, guilt, loss of faith, loss of contact with a higher power or meaning
We can help you cope with these challenges. Licensed clinical social workers, a psychiatric APRN, and a chaplain are available to provide support to patients and their loved ones when they need it. These services can be accessed individually, as a family, or through support groups.
Coping with cancer is difficult enough without having to worry about how to pay for treatment, but financial pressures are a real issue for many patients. For those with financial concerns, our licensed clinical social worker can guide you through the system and locate organizations that may provide assistance.