With hereditary cancers accounting for 10% of all cancers, it is important to understand the genetic factors that may put you at an increased risk for cancer.
Read MoreBeing diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment can be a difficult time in anyone’s life. The good news is that patients and their families don’t have to struggle alone.
Support for Cancer Patients from Inspira Health
Inspira offers our patients comprehensive support services including patient navigation, social work, support groups, educational events and survivorship care. We offer personalized care according to your specific needs.
Patient Navigation and Social Work Services
Inspira’s certified oncology patient navigators and social workers advocate for patients and families as they navigate the challenges that often accompany a cancer diagnosis, including psychosocial, emotional, financial and other barriers to care. They connect patients and caregivers to community resources, counseling, education and more.
Our care team is available by phone, via email and in person to help patients and caregivers:
- Access information to help understand diagnosis and treatments
- Navigate the health care system
- Coordinate care and appointments
- Arrange transportation for eligible patients
- Apply for grants and financial assistance for eligible patients
- Cope with the many emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis
- Answer financial questions and concerns
- Connect with home care, palliative care and hospice
- Complete advance care planning, advance directives and living wills
- Obtain medical equipment such as a cane or walker
Support Groups and Services
At Inspira, we strive to help patients manage any issues that may prevent them from fully recovering from or finishing their cancer treatment therapy—from physical pain to the emotional stress of the treatment process.
Support groups and behavioral health services are available to help patients and caregivers cope with the many emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges. They also allow people to learn from others facing similar situations. Studies have shown that support groups help people with cancer feel less anxious and more hopeful.
If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions below, you may benefit from individual or group support services:
- Are you having difficulty coping with your recent diagnosis?
- Do you find it difficult to get motivated or get out of bed?
- Do you have less energy?
- Are you irritable and/or easily frustrated?
- Do you feel like you are a burden to your family or friends?
- Have you had to stop working or doing the things you enjoyed?
- Are you having financial difficulties?
- Do you feel like no one understands you?
- Does your world feel like it has been tipped upside down?
- Are you having problems sleeping?
Support Groups led by the Cancer Support Community at Gilda's Club
Inspira Health's ongoing support is provided in partnership with the Cancer Support Community, a national organization that empowers cancer patients and survivors along with their families. The mission of the Cancer Support Community South Jersey is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. Before attending your first support group, a Cancer Support Community representative will talk with you about what to expect and share more about available resources.
At every meeting, a social worker from the Cancer Support Community leads an open discussion and answers questions related to the stress and side effects of treatment. Each support group encourages participants to share experiences with having a cancer diagnosis or being a friend or family member of someone living with cancer.
Survivorship Care
Our comprehensive survivorship program helps patients find their “new normal” after treatment by providing support and education about the importance of follow-up care. Inspira provides patients with an individualized summary of the care they received, as well as a personalized follow-up plan that may include screening schedules, cardiology appointments and wellness resources.
Our survivorship program is coordinated by a multidisciplinary team including physicians, advanced practice nurses, certified oncology nurses and specially trained oncology staff members who serve as points of contact for each patient after their active treatment ends.
