Webinar: Caring for the Carer

Caring for someone with cancer involves managing both your own physical and emotional needs and those of the person you are caring for. It is a demanding role, which can be stressful and the source of anxiety but you must also look after yourself. We discuss various ways you can care for yourself along with ideas your family and friends can use to help you, along with some practical tips on navigating the experience of cancer while balancing the demands of caring, family, work and your own needs.

Panellists

Kim Hobbs

Kim Hobbs holds a Masters degree in Social Work and has a long career in oncology social work; currently working at Westmead Hospital in the Department of Gynaecological Oncology. Building upon a solid base of clinical care, Kim advocates for improved psychosocial support services for all people with cancer and their families, friends and caregivers. She believes that psychosocial care should be an integral component of comprehensive cancer care for throughout treatment and recovery. Kim has been involved in the development of educational resources for both clinicians and consumers.

John Friedsam

John is the General manger of Divisions at Canteen Australia. For the Past 16 years, John has specialised in psycho-oncology service provision and management. John is passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based, sustainable supportive care, counselling and group work services to cancer patients and their families. John’s work has concentrated on the impact of cancer on families, cancer communications and familial adjustment to cancer – most recently on adolescents and young adults who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis or that of a family member, or are bereaved due to a cancer-related death.