Presentation Description: Providing care to children with cancer involves physical care such as medication administration and symptom support.  Another aspect of care that is important to provide is psychosocial care.  This is particularly evident in the satellite setting as care is being provided closer to home, where the family is trying to cope with the diagnosis and treatment.  The family must adapt to a new routine – balancing the ill child’s medical needs, as well as care of siblings and other family members, and loss of income and extra expenses.

This presentation will review actual cases to demonstrate the psychosocial needs of families with a child receiving cancer care in the satellite setting.  We will examine how those needs were addressed and shared between the satellite centre and the tertiary centre, and challenges and potential solutions for providing ideal psychosocial care.

Speakers:

Lisa Egan-Bates, RN, BScN
Pediatric Oncology Satellite Nurse Coordinator
Southlake Regional Health Centre, Newmarket, ON

Karen Fung, MSW, RSW
Clinical Social Worker, Oncology Program
Patient Navigator, NAIT Program – Phase I / II Clinical Trials
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON

Vicky Wilton, RN, BPHE
Pediatric Interlink Nurse
Northeast Cancer Centre, Health Sciences North, Sudbury, ON