National Conference Focuses on Cancer and the Family
CANCER CARE N.S.--National Conference Focuses on Cancer and the Family
About 200 health professionals and caregivers from across the country will gather in Halifax May 1-4, for the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) yearly conference. Participants will include psychologists, social workers, physicians, nurses, spiritual-care advisors, therapists, volunteers, cancer patients and families.
Supported by Cancer Care Nova Scotia, the theme for the CAPO 2002 conference is Cancer and the Family. Through presentations, workshops and panel discussions, participants will explore the effects of cancer on patients, families, friends and the health professionals who care for them.
"A diagnosis of cancer has far-reaching effects," said Barry Bultz, director of the Department of Psychosocial Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, and president of CAPO. "Regardless of our relationship to the patient -- family, friend, caregiver or health-care provider -- we all struggle to learn the best way to care for and support patients and their families in their journey. This week, we'll learn from and share with others the experiences that have enhanced quality of life for cancer patients and their families."
Keynote speakers include Jill Taylor-Brown, director of Psychosocial Oncology and Supportive Care, Cancer Care Manitoba; Lorraine Wright, director of the Family Nursing Unit and professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary; and Ronald Barr, professor of pediatrics, Pathology and Medicine, McMaster University.
Ms. Taylor-Brown will speak about children whose parents have cancer. Her presentation will focus on the reactions and experiences of children who have a parent with cancer. She will share developmental differences related to children's response to parental illness, in addition to suggested interventions, references and a list of resources.
Ms. Wright will present on how beliefs, suffering and spirituality form the soul of clinical work with seriously ill children and their families. She will speak about suffering as the core of the illness experience and will elaborate on how suffering frequently leads to the spiritual domain.
Mr. Barr will speak about cancer in adolescents. In particular, he will address the broader focus of cancer control, as it relates to transition from childhood to adult life. His comments will include tobacco control, unprotected sun exposure and screening, especially screening for cervical cancer. He will also speak about the need to be attentive to concerns of body image and peer acceptance in patients receiving palliative and supportive care.
Other topics being examined include ways of helping families organize professional support around their diagnosis and treatment; interventions with couples where one of the partners is diagnosed with cancer; issues related to parents of a child diagnosed with cancer; caring for family members who provide care to a loved one with cancer; and caring for professional caregivers who provide services to patients and families. In addition, there will be experiential and interactive sessions focusing on cancer and the family. Changing models of practice and support for the future will also be explored.
CAPO is an internationally recognized organization with a mandate to promote excellence in psychosocial research, education and clinical practice in oncology. It is the oldest interdisciplinary professional association in North America dedicated to helping people cope with cancer.