Hope Center targets cancer issues at work

Sunday, February 27, 2005, BY SUSAN KUSHNER RESNICK, Journal Health & Fitness Writer

The woman with cancer insisted everyone in the small office act as though nothing had changed. Her colleagues at Brown University found that tough to bear.

"Everyone would leave work and break down crying on the way home because it was so hard to act as if nothing was happening," says the woman's supervisor, who requested anonymity to preserve the patient's privacy.

The boss knew that something had to change, so she called the Hope Center for Cancer Support, in Providence. The center signed the office up for its new "How Can I Help?" program.

The free program, open to any Rhode Island business, involves sending a social worker and cancer survivor to speak to coworkers of cancer patients. They discuss things such as how much help to offer and what kind, what topics to avoid and how to make a home or hospital visit. The Hope Center usually schedules the hour-long program at lunchtime.

The people in the Brown office found it invaluable.

"They've helped us to accept that this is how she wants to handle it, and we have to respect that," the supervisor says.

At the same time, the patient is communicating with her coworkers more, which allows everyone to be more open. For example, they can ask what she's able to eat when they plan a lunch outing, the supervisor says, instead of pretending she has no restrictions.

"Being able to talk about it more has been great," she says.

Employers interested in the "How Can I Help?" program should contact the Hope Center at 454-0404.

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