The effort of families to recover life as it was before the diagnosis often becomes frustrated by a tangle of emotional, social, educational and medical issues. Away from the security of a hospital setting and the nurture of the medical community, each family member faces the challenge of adjusting to a familiar place where everything has changed.
While it is possible to predict the kinds of problems families will face, there are no easy or comprehensive solutions. Each individual will have a different rate of recovery from the stress of illness in the family. And while the experience can bring a family closer together, it can also create challenges that need to be identified and addressed.
Making Headway's Ongoing Care Program provides families with therapists and other specialists to support them away from the hospital. Their experience with children who have been treated for brain and spinal cord tumors gives these specialists the skills, strategies and understanding they need to help patients, parents and siblings. Their goal is always to empower every member of the family.
Some highlights of the Ongoing Care Program include:
Support groups conducted by licensed psychologists. Individual sessions—either face-to-face or by phone—are also available. Specialists experienced in the educational issues that arise from brain and spinal cord tumors and side effects of treatment. A Health Care Attorney to assist with insurance appeals and disability benefits applications. Bereavement support groups led by counselors and assistance with funeral expenses for families who need it.