Cancer Counseling and Support
At Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, we know that a supportive approach to cancer care is crucial to a patient’s well-being. We not only focus on your clinical care and treatment, but also ensure you have access to counseling and supportive care which includes social work services, speech and swallowing therapy, nutritional therapy, American Cancer Society navigator, among several other services. Our goal is to empower you, your family and caregivers through all phases of your cancer journey – from diagnosis through treatment and survivorship.
How licensed social workers help cancer patients
Our trained social workers provide you with emotional and practical support, counseling, education and resources that help meet your unique needs for care. Social work services are provided to all our Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s patients and incorporate strategies for learning how to live life as a cancer survivor by understanding how diagnosis and treatment can impact one’s life. The social workers at Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s also help both patients and family members address any known stressors and provide internal and external resources to address concerns with housing, transportation, and mental health to include domestic violence support, food bank, crisis services, medical appointments, or cancer treatment. Every person has different needs, so we can meet with you one-on-one to help you navigate your own wellness plan or in a group. Patients get to really know our social workers as they facilitate many of our support groups and educational classes.
To find out more about how our social workers benefit you or a loved one throughout their treatment at Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s, please call (602) 825-2039.
The role of speech rehabilitation in cancer treatment
Our commitment to comprehensive cancer care means we are committed to a breadth of support services, including on-site speech rehabilitation therapy. Through our rehabilitation services, we provide cancer patients with evaluations and therapy designed to address swallowing and communication problems. Patients with head and neck cancers face many challenges with talking, eating, and swallowing, but services are not limited to this population. All Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s patients can seek out rehabilitation services if needed.
We strive to provide state-of-the-art support in our speech pathology services. This includes virtual reality biofeedback that allows patients to see their swallow activity during therapy, evaluations that address articulation, voice, and tracheoesophageal puncture prosthesis changes as well as fiberoptic endoscopic evaluations of swallowing.
To find out more about how our speech rehabilitation can benefit our patients and caregivers throughout their cancer treatment at Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s, please call (602) 825-2039.
The role of nutritional counseling in cancer treatment
When fighting cancer, we know your diet and nutrition is paramount. At Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s, our multidisciplinary team includes free nutrition counseling services, available to all patients receiving treatment at the Cancer Institute. Our goal is to help patients maintain optimal nutrition throughout treatment to ensure the best outcomes. We collaborate with physical, occupational and speech therapists, social workers, registered nurses (RNs), and physicians on a daily basis to help meet the needs of each individual patient.
Our dietitians offers nutrition education and consultations that include individualized nutrition plans specific to cancer diagnosis, education and follow-up visits. Nutrition services are focused on cancer-related symptom management, including poor appetite and unintentional weight loss. We also work to mitigate cancer-treatment-related side effects such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Taste changes
- Diarrhea
- Dry mouth
Dietitians also assist in managing feeding tubes and IV nutrition therapies.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Cancer Care
At the Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s, we take a multidisciplinary team approach that includes radiation medicine experts. The radiation oncologists focus on radiation treatment options, while other specialists focus on other aspects of your care. Our doctors provide leading-edge radiation therapies that are unique and may not be available at other centers in our community. Above all, we focus on a precision approach and compassionate care for each patient.
