CanSupport

CanSupport, founded by a cancer survivor, is dedicated to providing comprehensive, free support to cancer patients of all ages and stages. It offers a helpline, access to supportive medication and equipment, guidance on securing financial aid, day-care, and counselling services. With a patient-centered approach, CanSupport prioritizes individuals' dignity and care preferences, delivering physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support through a team of palliative care experts. The mission is to empower patients and their families to make informed decisions, fostering a life of dignity, hope, and comfort amidst the cancer journey.

Major Interventions:

Home Based Palliative Care is a pioneering initiative focused on delivering comprehensive care to patients with advanced and terminal cancer in their own homes. As the largest program of its kind in India, it provides free, high-quality medical care through a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, counsellors, and physiotherapists, who offer regular home visits. The program emphasizes pain and symptom management, physical therapy, comprehensive nursing, and psychosocial and spiritual support, empowering families to care for their loved ones effectively. It also extends to underserved areas, using community networking officers to raise cancer awareness.

Outpatient Clinics supports cancer patients from diagnosis through end-of-life. These clinics cater to patients who are mobile or undergoing active therapies, providing tailored information, educational support, and consultations for different cancer types. They focus on preparing patients for treatments, managing pain and side effects, and offering outpatient nursing care. The clinics also extend psychosocial support to families and connect patients with financial aid schemes. By facilitating referrals to home care and hospice services, CanSupport ensures a holistic, continuous approach to cancer care.

Mobile Palliative Care Clinic (MPCC): As an extension to the Outpatient Clinics, CanSupport launched this program, to be situated outside those hospitals where a physical premise for setting up an outpatient clinic was not feasible. It includes a palliative care physician, nurse, counsellor, social worker and a hospital networking officer to offer comprehensive care to patients and their caregivers in a one-window setup.

Day Care program provides a supportive space for cancer patients of all ages and their caregivers, offering tailored activities, emotional support, and nutritious meals. Weekly sessions for children, teenagers, young adults, and adults focus on creative expression, healing, and skill development, addressing the unique needs of each group. Volunteers help create a comforting environment, easing the stress of treatment and fostering a sense of community.

Telephone Helpline: It provides information and emotional support to callers and coordinates with care/service providers for cancer-related needs. This confidential service is manned by trained counsellors who provide support empathetically and practically.