Cancer Care West is hoping to open a new drop-in centre staffed by a team of trained cancer professionals, writes LORNA SIGGINS.
‘WHEN YOU are ill, you need the most refined, dextrous presence . . . All the ‘rational structures’ have to be left aside when a serious diagnosis leaves people on ‘new ground’.”
The words of the late philosopher and writer John O’Donohue still echo through the corridors of Inis Aoibhinn, the lodge opened by the Cancer Care West charity on the campus of University College Hospital, Galway (UCHG) two years ago.
O’Donohue was commenting then on the relationship between art and illness, speaking at a function to mark the donation of over 100 artworks to the lodge. The home-from-home comprises 30 en-suite bedrooms, and therapy rooms where west coast cancer patients, along with a relative or friend, can stay during treatment in UCHG and can avail of counselling, massage or reflexology.
Now the Inis Aoibhinn project is taking another significant step forward under the guidance of its director of psychology and support services, Dr Helen Greally. Her employer, Cancer Care West, plans to open a new drop-in centre shortly, which will be staffed by a team of experienced cancer professionals, including psychologists, oncology-trained nurses and a team of complementary therapists.
Yoga, creative writing, massage and mindfulness are just some of the courses which will be on offer for all those affected by a serious diagnosis.
“We hope in this way to reach people in a non-hospital setting,” Greally explains.
“Generally, our referrals come from consultants, clinical nurse specialists and palliative-care specialists, but we are aware that there are still a lot of people who we are not seeing,” she says. The centre will give advice on benefits, on nutrition, on relaxation and on stress management, and there will also be bereavement support for relatives who may require it.
The psychologist team will be available for individual appointments, similar to that already provided at Inis Aoibhinn. Complementing the drop-in centre on Séamus Quirke Road in Galway’s Westside will be the development of two new outreach services, in Roscommon and in Clifden, Co Galway.
“Castlebar already has a very good support centre, and we don’t wish to duplicate what other organisations are doing in this area – rather, we would prefer to support them,” Greally says.
Support groups, such as the new Breastlife group in Galway, will be able to use the centre for meetings, as Cancer Care West is “very conscious of being a community-based initiative”, she says.
This new group has proved to be very successful since it was initiated late last year.
“The reality is that 35-40 per cent of people who get cancer are psychologically affected, and so the services we provide are evidence-based,” she says. “We have very good relations with consultants and oncology nurses, and what we are doing aims to complement medical treatment.”
Inis Aoibhinn’s team sees people in the hospital who aren’t mobile enough to travel any distance. It also has very good relations with Galway Hospice, which is a separate charity. It is endeavouring to reach out to GPs in the west to explain its work and “let them know that we are here”.
Greally has more than 28 years’ experience in working with people with a variety of psychological difficulties including the demands of physical illness, particularly cancer, and the adaptation required to cope with same. Formerly staff with the Western Health Board, she has taught on clinical doctorate courses at NUI Galway and the University of Limerick, and in 2007 she was appointed senior psychologist with Cancer Care West.
She finds it both a challenging and very rewarding post. “People who are newly diagnosed with cancer tend to be in shock, and need psychological support.
“I also see people who have been told their condition is terminal, and people who are finished their treatment and are quite well, or very well, physically, but are worried about a recurrence,” she says.
Fear of treatment is often greater than fear of the actual illness, she notes. Physical changes associated with treatment can also be an issue.
“Hair loss is both a reminder for people of their condition and is traumatic,” she says. The tendency for people to seek information on the internet can often add to the stress, if such information is misinterpreted – or just misleading.
Her focus is on providing people with clear and accurate information, talking through issues in confidence, and providing a sounding board also for family and friends who may request it.
“Sometimes people can find it extremely difficult to ask for help, and yet we all need help and support in such situations – we all need to know we are not alone.”
Cancer Care West can be contacted at tel 091-545000 and cancercarewest.ie. The new Breastlife cancer support group for the west of Ireland meets on the third Thursday of every month, and more information can be obtained by phoning Cancer Care West