Oncology massage will be provided by a certified oncology massage therapist. The therapist will be trained to know the patient's endurance level, chemotherapeutic agents, physiologic sensitivities and potential for lymph edema. With this the massage therapist will be able to help them relax and aid in the reduction of stress and pain.
This is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. This will help with some of the pain and side effects from the cancer, chemotherapy, radiation as well as stress.
Healing through art therapy is different from more widely recognized talking therapies, as it allows patients to express emotion and engage in the healing process in a non-verbal manner. Art is seen as an effective coping mechanism for various reasons: the management of stress and anxiety, refocusing energy and emotions, and as a liberating outlet. Art deals with issues by recreating experiences and therefore providing validation and acceptance of loss. This will include an art therapy facilitator, who is a trained psychiatric nurse with talking therapy experience. Supplies will be provided for every class.
Healing through writing therapy will help patients and caregivers be able to express their feelings through writing. They will be educated on a way to healthfully releasing anger. The act of writing will help instruct them how to relive stress and their burdens. Journals will be provided for the guest to bring with them each time and to utilize as they wish. It will be taught by a local author and/or writing instructor.
We will have a chef come in and perform cooking demonstrations for those guests who must maintain or choose to maintain a restricted diet. It is intended to educate them as to how to cook and flavor foods within their diet, so in the end it will still be appetizing. We will be working with a dietician on types of foods to demonstrate and a chef with specialized experience will be brought in to do the cooking.
We will be providing cancer and caretaker coaches, who will serve as a teacher, mentor and role model. Patients will be paired up with survivors who are in remission or stable who had or has a similar type of cancer. Caretakers will be paired up with more experienced caretakers with similar caretaker-patient relationships. For example, an adult who is the caretaker for his/her parent will be paired with an adult who was the caretaker for his/her parent, a spouse with a spouse, etc. Coaches will educate their matched individual on the different things they learned from doctors and experience. A key for a caretaker coach is teaching the matched individual how to care for himself/herself. This way the caretaker will be able to better care for the patient.
Yoga will be taught by a certified oncology yoga instructor. This will educate the guest on mental and physical exercises they can do at home on their own. It will also provide them breathing techniques that will help them deal with stress and pain. The guest will be supplied with their own yoga mat and bag to carry it in.
There will be a library with a variety of books. This will also include information on other oncology related organizations and options they may want to research further. This will provide more information on what they are going through and will allow them to do as much research as they want on any topic.
We will also have a wig specialist come in and teach the patient different styles they can wear with their wigs and how to take care of them.
We will work with other organizations to provide therapy dogs and other designated therapy animals. It will provide them a comfort that no one else will be able to provide them.
We will provide everything from every kind of stitching, creating fun decorations and wood carving classes. This will provide a forum for patients and caregivers to experiment and form a hobby that they can take up on their own. It will teach them the value of a hobby as well as how to successfully engage in a particular type of hobby. It is another mechanism to encourage a healthy mind and body. All materials will be provided for any crafting class that we will do. We will have people who know how to do the different crafts to come in and teach them.
We will also provide music therapy by partnering with Queen's University of Charlotte Music Therapy program. Music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals. It also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.
There will be a room that they will be able to sit, have tea or coffee and chat. This will serve as an unofficial therapy session. They will be able to talk to other people who have experienced or are experiencing cancer. This will promote a sense of community and compassion. This will also provide an opportunity for shared experiences and lessons learned. Individuals can discuss various treatments, doctors, remedies or past times that have helped or hurt their recovery. There will be a room they can go and meditate or spend some time quietly in their own space. This will offer individuals an opportunity for peace and internal balancing.
This will be for the men to be able to focus on something they enjoy. This will help them relieve stress for what they are dealing with and help them deal with it better when they are away re-engaged in society.