Supportive Care Team
"Psychosocial Oncology"
Everyone has a different experience with cancer. From the time you are given a diagnosis, to the end of treatment, a team of health care providers can help support you:
- Physically
- Emotionally
- Socially
- Spiritually
You might want or need to see a supportive care member at different points through your treatment. Do not hesitate to ask your oncologist or health care team for a referral.
The Supportive Care team members can see patients in a number of ways:
- Online using OTN (or virtual visits)
- In person
- Over the phone
The Supportive Care team will try their best to book an appointment that makes sense for you and your schedule. This might mean talking over the phone before meeting in person. In person visits might be booked in a private space like a clinic room, or you could be seen while getting treatment in the chemotherapy treatment suite.
Social Workers
Social workers offer support for you, your caregiver, and/or your family for cancer related issues.
Social workers can help you with:
- Depression (feeling sad)
- Anxiety
- Stress management
- Loss or grief
- Concern about money
- Changes in relationships
- Sexual Health
- Speaking with your parent or children about cancer
Registered Dietitians
Registered Dietitians can teach you about nutrition during every stage of your cancer process.
Speaking with a dietitian can help you:
- Maintain your energy during treatment
- Build strength before/during/after treatment or surgery
- Reach and stay at a healthy weight
- Manage side effects from your cancer or treatments
Spiritual Care Practitioners
Spiritual Care Practitioners support you during your experience of living with cancer.
Spiritual Care Practitioners can help you with:
- Supportive listening
- Exploring hope
- Talking about what provides meaning and purpose in your life
- Connecting with your inner strength
- Connecting and re-connecting with communities that support your spiritual well-being
- Exploring feelings around your diagnosis, your treatment, your experience with cancer
- Supporting you during your experience of living with cancer
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a doctor who can help assess, diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
They are also able to prescribe medications to support any diagnosed mental health conditions.
Your cancer health care team or your social worker might suggest that you be referred to see a psychiatrist. This is so that you can get the best possible support for your mental health.
Your psychiatrist can offer:
- An in person appointment
- Therapy (e.g. talk therapy)
- Medications and monitoring of medications for mental health
Speech & Language Pathologist
Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP) are experts in swallowing and communication.
Some cancer treatments can put you at higher risk for problems swallowing. In the cancer program, the SLP can help you manage some side effects of treatment.
Some ways they might support you are:
- Help assess and treat swallowing problems
- Provide swallowing suggestions to help you swallow safely
- Advise you on the best type and texture of food to eat safely
- Work with your health care team (including Oncologist, Nurse, and Dietitian) to help you maintain your nutrition and strength
Support at Your Site
Check the site lists below to see which services you can access in person. If a service is not offered at your main cancer treatment site, you can ask for a referral to a support service at another location. Often a visit can happen over the phone or on computer video (OTN).
