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Cancer Survivorship Centre and Programme
- The Need For Wellness Centres In South West Sydney
SWSLHD comprises 12% of the residents of New South Wales. The expected number of new cancer diagnoses per year is 5,300. The number of patients surviving their cancer is growing. Currently, approximately 65% of patients will live longer than 5 years after their cancer diagnosis and the vast proportion of these patients are cured from their cancer.
Cancer Survivors, and those who have completed treatment, have specific ongoing needs that are best addressed in a comprehensive cancer wellness centre. Issues relating to the physical and emotional effects of the cancer and the resultant treatment can lead to significant ongoing problems for patients and their carers.
Those living with Cancer often have ongoing health issues such as musculoskeletal dysfunction, hormone imbalances, fatigue, reduction in cognition as well as ongoing psychological and emotional problems. While Cancer Therapy Centres can address some of these issues, a purpose-built wellness centre facilitates a greater focus on these issues away from the environment in which the cancer patients underwent their acute treatment.
Wellness programs provide specific input (support, education and therapies) with clear goals to facilitate and optimise the patient and carer transition to self management and sustainable community based activities following Cancer diagnosis and treatment. This is not an unlimited service providing ongoing "maintenance" or a lifelong drop in centre programme, it will have defined goals and outcomes.
As well as providing for people living with Cancer, it is proposed that this facility will also be responsible for conducting research to improve understanding of cancer survivorship problems and to facilitate solutions.
- Description of Proposed Wellness Centres
Our wellness centre aims to provide a supportive environment to empower patients and their carers to maximize their wellness potential based on their individual capacity and their needs.
It is envisaged that, under one roof, patients and carers can access help with information, benefits advice, psychological support (both individually and in groups), attend courses and stress-reducing strategies. The unit is available for anybody who feels the need for help, which includes those who look after someone with cancer, who often feel as frightened and vulnerable as those who actually have cancer.
The Wellness Centre will provide accommodation for consultative medical, nursing, allied health and complementary therapists and volunteer services delivered on a programmed and scheduled basis.
The Living with Cancer Programs may include:
Mind-Body Therapies
- Living with cancer program
- Look good feel better
- Information centre and library
- Education & support for patients and carers
- Psycho-oncology, social work
- Genetic counselling
- Bereavement support & pastoral care
- Occupational therapy
- Exercise and fitness programs
- Physiotherapy & rehabilitation
- Exercise physiologist - led fatigue management
- Diversional therapies
- Diet and nutrition programs
(and cooking classes)
- Pain management services
- Wound care clinics
- Lymphoedema clinics
- Speech therapy (swallowing and procedural)
- Complementary therapies (evidence based)
- Specialist medical survivorship
- consultants and researchers
Touch Based Therapies
- Bowen
- Craniosacral
- Kinesiology
- Massage
- Reflexology
- Accupuncture
- Cupping
Energy-based therapies
- Healing touch
- Pranic healing
- QI Gong
- Reiki
- Proof of Concept - Other Centres
- Specific Design and concepts
The designs convey a friendly and inviting environment that inspire confidence in the services provided and reflects a commitment to patient orientated care. Reception and waiting areas are designed to reflect a sense of peace and orderly service delivery and will encourage a calmness for people passing through the centre.
Inclusions:
- Space to provide translational research
- Welcoming Reception and Waiting Area
- Calm and informative Resource Centre
- Kitchen for nutrition and dietary courses
- Large multi-purpose media rooms providing information sessions
- Gymnasium for exercise physiology
- Shower/change rooms with disabled access for after the gym
- Therapy rooms for accupuncture, massage, and discussions
- Large clinic/treatment rooms for lymphoedema
- Relaxation gardens & outdoor areas for Qi Gong, Tai Chi, or to sit and relax
- Funding of SWSLHD Wellness
South Western Sydney Local Health District have allocated land for the building of wellness centres at Liverpool and Camden. We now look to the local community to make the building of these centres a reality for patients in our local area.
We welcome your support for these vital services for cancer survivors. Should you wish to be involved in these exciting new services, donations would be gratefully accepted.
- Proposed Cancer Wellness Centre Locations
- Progress so far
We have secured land at Goulburn Street, Liverpool where we aim to build these facilities that will provide ongoing survivorship programmes for after-treatment care for patients living with cancer in our community.
We have received concept drawings for the buildings, and are commencing work with selected architects to prepare the development applications for the facility by the end of the year. Once these have been approved by council, we will be ready to build. The estimated cost of the building is $5million dollars.
We have received pledges of more than $800,000 for these projects, and once DA is approved, we will be seeking the rest of the estimated funds.
- Our Sponsors So Far…
- ACRF fundS $2m for OASIS Centre to support survivorship research
Cancer Wellness and Survivorship Centres - Printable Brochure
Cancer Wellness and Survivorship and Wellness Program - Progress Timeline
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