Wellbeing, rehabilitation and support for cancer patients

There is descriptions of treatment paths (in Finnish) for cancer that describe how treatment in the hospital progresses.

Throughout the treatment path, for you and your family there is available

• A social worker if you have questions about financial matters
• Mental support through discussions with crisis workers, the hospital chaplain, the local cancer association or the crisis telephone of the Association for Mental Health.
• A smoking cessation nurse (in Finnish)
• A sex counsellor
• A rehabilitation counsellor.

You are free to contact them directly or through the nursing personnel.

Some of the support services are accessible only by referral from a physician. Talk with the nursing personnel of your needs. They will direct your to

• A physiotherapist (in Finnish) if you need support to promote everyday mobility, exercises or working out
• Nutritionist if you need nutritional advice
• Speech therapist if you need help with understanding or producing speech. 
• You may also see specialists in psychiatry and personal crises by referral.

Peer support has been found to be very important for people who fall ill with a serious disease. Personal peer support is available by consulting cancer and patient organizations, the Cancer Society of Finland and your local cancer society.

The cancer nurse at the cancer Society of South-West Finland and patient peers are available for discussions every Wednesday at 9–14 hours (9 am to 2 pm) in the Tyks T-hospital, 1st floor, B-wing.

The hospital and cancer organizations arrange also 

• afternoon discussion events on how to manage in everyday life while being treated for cancer
• evening discussions on life after cancer treatment is over.

These events are free of charge and you will be able to discuss these important topics with professional experts.

• The Association of cancer patients in Finland publishes and maintains a comprehensive selection of patient guides.
• From The Health village's Cancer house (in Finnish) you can find information of different kinds of cancer
• the web pages of FICAN West contains updated information on how to cope with cancer in everyday life.

You may apply for rehabilitation courses 1-2 years after your cancer diagnosis. These courses aim at helping you to adjust and cope with life so that you can live as fully as possible regardless of your illness or any deficits.

The cancer society or a rehabilitation counsellor in Tyks can help you. These courses are financed by Kela and STEA (Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations).