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Family Support Services |
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Our goal is to care not only for our patients but also for emotional and quality of life needs for their families. We strive to create a safe, comforting environment. We know that unfamiliar places, especially hospitals, often create anxiety and fear for a child. We also know this is not an easy time or task for parents, who have their own fears and concerns about the situation. Our family support services will help address many of those needs and concerns.
Our family-support teams include:
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- Patient Care Coordinators, who are available to assist with anticipated medical supply needs. Prior to admission, the coordinator will communicate with your insurance company. In addition, at the time of discharge the coordinator will meet with you to discuss home health care needs.
- Clinical Dietitians, who can help with your child's specific diet concerns.. Our dieticians can assist you with this and other dietary needs.
- Social Workers, who provide confidential support to parents and guardians during a child's hospitalization. They also assist with accessing community resources for families.
- Resource Specialists, who are available to assist families during hospitalization, with information about services available through the hospital and accommodations such as housing and transportation available in and around the city of Boston.
- Child Life Specialists, who help children cope with their hospitalization. They are also available to parents who would like to discuss issues related to siblings or child development. Child life specialists hold bachelor's or master's degrees in the areas of child life, child development, special education or recreation therapy. They are also available to your child before they come into the hospital, for reassurance purposes. Each oncology floor has its own child life specialist. The 6 West specialist can be reached at 617-355-6559; 7 West at 617-355-6562; and 9 North at 617-355-6979.
- Patient and Family Educator, who oversees the Patient and Family Resource Room on 7 West. The patient and family educator helps families find information about the type of cancer their child has using books, videos and the Internet, teaches parents how to use Care Pages to build a customizable Web page for their child, and oversees many family-focused events and respite programs held on the floor.
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Our family-centered services also include:
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- The Blum Resource Center, which has its main location in the Dana-Farber lobby as well as a satellite office in the Jimmy Fund Clinic, provides a comfortable environment to learn more about cancer and treatment options. Part reference library, part lending library, the center provides access to books, brochures, computing equipment as well as information about support groups pertaining to your personal experience.
- The Center for Families at Children's is helps families find information and resources to understand child's medical condition and participate in their care. In addition to providing traditional reference materials, the center provides access to special programs such as the Gift Basket and Book of the Month raffles. The Center can also provide information about accommodations that are available to Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Care patient families, including hotels, hospitality homes and dormitory-style rooms at the hospital.
- The Pastoral Care Department at Children's has chaplains representing a variety of faiths, including Islam, Judaism, Protestantism and Roman Catholic, who are available 24 hours a day to offer spiritual and emotional support, with sensitivity to families' religious traditions and primary language. Patients and families can request a chaplain's visit by calling the office at 617-355-6664, or by speaking with a nurse.
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During inpatient stays, we also provide several accommodations to assist your family.
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