Children and the Cancer Experience: How to work with children when a loved one has cancer

Transcription

1 Children and the Cancer Experience: How to work with children when a loved one has cancer Kimberly Harden, MSW, LCSW Oncology Social Worker Carle Cancer Center Urbana, IL

2 How many children are affected by cancer? 18.3% of recently diagnosed patients and 14% of all patients are living with a minor child 78.9% are female (69.8% are married) 3,193 children of which 30.5% are under the age of 6 Estimated there are 1.58 million survivors living with minor children (2.85 children) 562,000 minor children are living with a parents in early treatment and recovery (3)

3 How many children are affected by cancer? (con t d) The age of the child will influence their reaction Adolescents, especially adolescent girls whose mothers have cancer, show more emotional problems (4) Increased somatic complaints among all ages of children (5) Increased importance of linking the family with appropriate resources as treatment is stressful for the entire family Challenges not only for the parent in treatment, but also for the parent who is the caregiver

4 Telling the children Do we tell the children or not? Children are affected by a loved ones cancer diagnosis, rather they are aware of the condition or not (1) The more informed children are of what is going on, the less they have to imagine Keep things at the child s level (age appropriate) How much is too much?

5 What does cancer treatment look like? When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, depending on their type of cancer, there can be several treatment options Surgery Surgery and chemotherapy Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation

6 The Cancer Treatment Process Slide of process: Doctor visit, tests, diagnosis, oncology appointments, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation (show time frame of how long the process takes from start to finish)

7 What about the children? Cancer treatment is a long process, what about the children during this time? What should we watch for when a child s loved one is diagnosed with cancer? Repression, such as reverting back to thumb-sucking, bed wetting,etc. Depression or excessive sadness Decline in grades Anger or outbursts Physical complaints, such as frequent headaches or stomach aches Withdrawal (1)

8 Common Fears/Questions Children have about cancer It s my fault mom has cancer What if dad dies? Who will take care of me after school? Will we still go on a family vacation this summer? Why did grandma lose her hair? Will I catch cancer? How did this happen?

9 Common Fears/Concerns Loved Ones have for their children Who will take care of the children during my treatment? Will I have the energy to play with my children? What if I die? Will my child get cancer? How much will this impact my child? How will my child handle the my physical changes? Will I get to see my child grow up?

10 How can we support children when a loved one has cancer? Keep the door open Check in with the child on a regular basis (twice a month) Reach out to the family to see if they have noticed a change in the child s behavior/attitude Work with teachers to monitor child s behavior/attitudes Don t be afraid to use the word cancer (2)

11 Resources Several cancer centers offer Children s Support Groups (Carle Cancer Center) Most cancer centers also offer support groups for survivors and caregivers (Carle Cancer Center, The Lurie Cancer Center, Edward Cancer Center) Oncology Social Workers Child Life Specialists Online support groups

12 Resources (cont d) American Cancer Society ( -Free Wigs -Transportation Assistance -Lodging Assistance -Volunteer support enafamilymemberhascancer/index The Pink Fund (thepinkfund.org) -Financial Assistance for breast cancer patients -Support

13 Resources

14 Resources

15 Books

16 What have been your experiences What situations have you run into when dealing with children who have a loved one with cancer?

17 References 1. KIWI: Kids Inquire, We Inform. Retrieved from 2. Talking to Your Kids About Your Diagnosis, n.d., In para. 1 CancerCare 3. Weaver, K.E., Rowland, J.H., Alfano, C.M., McNeel, T.S. Parental cancer and the family: A population-based estimate of the number of US cancer survivors residing with minor children. Cancer Sep 15; 116(18); Grabiak B.R., Bender C.M., Puskar, K.R. The impact of parental cancer on the adolescent: an analysis of the literature. Pyschooncology Feb; 16(2): [PubMed] 5. Visser, A, Huizinga, G.A., van der Graaf, W.T., Hoekstra H.J., Hoekstra-Weeber,J.E. The impact of parental cancer on the children and the family: a review of the literature. Cancer Treat Rev Dec; 30(8): [PubMed]

18 Special Thanks To IASSW 2015 Conference Kaitlin Costello, MSW