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Resources for Patient Navigators and Social Workers
Patient Navigators and social workers are important members of the cancer care team. They can assist in connecting people with cancer to helpful resources. Check out these links to learn more about resources that can help the patients you serve.
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Financial Resources - One-on-One
- Patient Advocate Foundation – Offers free, case management to help with access to care, paying for treatment and living expenses. Call 1-800-532-5274. Spanish Available.
- Cancer Care -Provides free telephone resource navigation to people affected by cancer. This service centers on the practical challenges of cancer. Spanish Available.
- SHARE Cancer Support – Offers patient navigation services for people with breast and gynecologic cancers, to reduce health disparities by address barriers to care.
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Financial Assistance
- New Day Foundation for Families Fighting Cancer – For Michigan Residents – offers a variety of financial assistance, some resources are for families with children at home.
- Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition - A coalition of financial assistance organizations working to eliminate financial challenges by educating patients on existing resources.
- Breast Cancer Specific Financial Assistance
- Pink Fund - Breast Cancer Financial Assistance – Provides Cost of Living Assistance to breast cancer patients nationally.
- Home - Pink Ribbon Riders -Provides direct financial assistance to men and women with breast cancer. Program is in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
- Shades of Pink Foundation – Provides cost of living financial assistance to people with breast cancer in south-east Michigan.
- It’s a Breast Thing.org – Provides cost of living financial assistance to people with breast cancer in mid-Michigan.
- Young Adult Specific Financial Assistance
- Allyson Whitney Foundation – Provides Life Interrupted Grants typically of $500 to $1,500are to young adults in treatment between the ages of 16 and 36.
- Cancer For College: Scholarships & Support for Cancer Survivors– Offers scholarships to college students who have had a personal diagnosis of cancer.
- Expect Miracles Foundation – Provides financial support to young adult cancer survivors two times per year.
- Additional financial support services can be found at Financial Assistance - Stupid Cancer and Financial Assistance | Young Survival Coalition.
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Reducing Barriers to Care
- Transportation
- Road To Recovery | American Cancer Society – Offers rides to cancer related medical appointments.
- Mercy Medical Angels – Free non-emergency medical transportation for treatment.
- Medicaid - Medicaid my help with transportation expenses. Individuals with Medicaid can work with their Medicaid provider to understand how to apply.
- Faith-Based Organizations – Churches, temples, and synagogues may provide help with transportation to cancer treatment.
- Medication Assistance
- Needy Meds – Assistance with the cost of medicine, phone number (800) 503-6897.
- Co-Pay Relief Program – Provides direct financial assistance to insured patients to help pay for prescriptions and treatments.
- Rx Assist Patient Center -Provides aid with pharmaceutical company programs and other resources to help reduce medication costs.
- Rx Hope - A helping hand to people in need of medications. They serve as an advocate with patient assistance programs.
- Yes Rx, Michigan Cancer Drug Repository Network – Donated unused and unopened cancer medications can be provided for free to cancer patients in need.
- Lodging
- American Cancer Society Partnership | Extended Stay America – Provides free or discounted rooms for cancers patients needing temporary housing for treatment.
- Joes House - a Lodging Guide for Cancer Patients - Provides a list of cancer centers and hospitals across the country with nearby lodging facilities that offer a discount.
- Other Types of Assistance
- Lend Them a Helping Hand – An organization dedicated to helping people in need to develop a help list to share with friends and family.
- Cleaning for a Reason – Will provide one free house cleaning to households facing a diagnosis of cancer. Click here to see if it is available in your area.
- Transportation
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Psychosocial Support
- Resources
- Imerman Angels – Provides free personalized one-on-one cancer support for cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers.
- Look Good Feel Better – A national charity dedicated to improving the appearance, confidence and self-esteem of individuals undergoing cancer treatment.
- Cancer Support Community – It provides a variety of professionally led assistance programs nationwide.
- American Cancer Society – Provides information on support and online communities.
- Young Adults
- The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation - Guides young adults (18-40) with cancer to social support programs and services to address mental healing.
- Stupid Cancer – Serves adolescents and young adults by ending isolation and building community.
- Young Survival Coalition – Addresses the unique needs of young adults with breast cancer to address quality of life.Spanish Available.
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Fertility Preservation
- Alliance for Fertility Preservation - A resource for cancer patients who have a fertility risk from their cancer treatment. Financial Assistance Programs are available on their website.
- American Cancer Society – This webpage provides information about the process of fertility preservation for those with cancer.
- Cancer Care – A variety of resources are available including podcasts and publications.
- Save My Fertility – Provides an online fertility preservation toolkit for patients with cancer and their providers.
- Young Survival Coalition had information about Fertility Preservation and Options After Treatment.
- Livestrong Fertility – Offers a discount program that works with clinics nationwide that have committed to a service discount.
- Team Maggie's Dream -Provides financial assistance to women and men with cancer, who have been denied coverage by insurance, for the purpose of preserving eggs and sperm.
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Pregnant with Cancer
- Hope for Two – Matches women who have cancer and are pregnant with support women who have had the same type of cancer.
- American Cancer Society – This webpage provides information on facing cancer during pregnancy.
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer – Provides information on breast cancer and pregnancy.
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Healthy Lifestyles
Resources
- National Diabetes Prevention Program – This Centers for Disease Control program teaches eating healthy, physical activity, and coping with stress.
- WISEWOMAN Program- A wellness program for women helping participants understand their cardiovascular disease risk fathers and how to make healthy lifestyle choices.
- Michigan Tobacco Quit Link – A tobacco cessation quit line.
- Livestrong® Program at the YMCA - This program focuses on increasing physical activity in cancer survivors following treatment and supporting their body, mind, and spiritual needs.
- Wellness Programs | Unite For HER: Helping to Empower and Restore – Educates and provides supportive wellness services to those with breast and ovarian cancer.
Information
- American Institute for Cancer Research – Provides information on healthy living for survivors.
- "Talk to Someone" Simulation- Provides answers to questions about physical activity, nutrition, anxiety, distress, tobacco and alcohol.
- American Cancer Society – This webpage provides information about living well after cancer treatment.
- Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment – Covers how diet needs different with cancer, common eating problems and tips.
- Cancer Support Community- Diet and nutrition information for cancer survivors.
- Clearing The Air – A booklet than can help people with tobacco cessation.
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Educational Resources
- American Cancer Society -– Provides a phone helpline answering questions 24 hours a day at 800.227.2345. Spanish resources available.
- Cancer Legal Resource Center – For disability rights in cancer. Spanish resources available.
- Cancer Support Community – Provides educational and support resources to people with cancer and their caregivers. Resources available in several languages.
- Centers for Disease Control -Provides information on cancer survivorship. Spanish Available.
- Chemo Care – Provides chemotherapy drug and side effect information, cancer wellness information and links to additional resources.
- FORCE - Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered - Information for individuals and families with hereditary cancer. Available in Spanish.
- Know Your Lemons – Breast health information. Available in multiple languages.
- National Cancer Institute – Has a variety of resources on the physical and psychosocial topics. Spanish Available.
- National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship – Offers educational resources. Spanish Resources available.
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network – Provides patient booklets on cancer treatment for a wide variety of cancers, supportive care, and guidelines related to adolescents and young adults.
- Resources available in several languages. Palliative Doctors - Contains information about hospice and palliative care from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
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Educational Resources - Financial and Career
- Triage Cancer, – Provides education on practical and legal issues that may impact individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. Spanish Resources Available.
- Foundation For Women's Cancer – Provides a list of financial questions that individuals can ask their treatment team.
- Centers for Disease Control – Has tips for paying for cancer treatment.
- National Cancer Institute – Offers information on managing cancer costs.
- American Cancer Society – Offers information on financial and insurance matters.
- Cancer and Careers - Provides information on employment for people with cancer and their caregivers. Spanish Available.
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Educational Resources - Breast Cancer
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer – Breast cancer resources, stories and support.
- Sharsheret - A Jewish Breast Cancer Organization – Provides personalized support on breast and ovarian cancer.
- About - BreastReconstruction.org – Provides tools and resources about breast reconstruction to assist with making informed breast reconstruction choices.
- Not putting on a Shirt – Advocates for optimal surgical outcomes for women who choose not to have reconstructive surgery after mastectomy.
- Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation- Provides information about living with triple negative breast cancer.
- SHARE Cancer Support- Supports and educates anyone who has been diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancer. Spanish Available.
- Breastcancer.org - Breast Cancer Information and Support – Provides information about breast health and breast cancer. Spanish Resources available