Tasmania Support Services

• Cancer Council Helpline
• Cancer Council Connect
• Living With Cancer Education Program
• Look Good Feel Better
• The Welfare Grants and No-Interest Loans Scheme
• The Statewide Breast Prosthesis Scheme

For further information about any of these services click on our website at www.cancertas.org.au or call 13 11 20.

Cancer Council Helpline

Our Helpline 13 11 20 is a confidential telephone information and support service. For the cost of a local call from anywhere in Australia, trained volunteer and paid staff can answer questions about any aspect of cancer, including:

• How to prevent cancer or find it early
• How to cope with treatment and its side effects

They can also:

• Send information resources
• Put callers in touch with services or local support groups in their area
• Offer emotional support to cancer patients, their families and carers

Cancer Council Connect

Cancer Council Connect is a free, confidential service that provides one to one support for people diagnosed with breast or gynaecological cancers in Tasmania.

Support is provided by volunteers who have been recruited and specially trained by The Cancer Council Tasmania. Many women feel that the support and encouragement they receive through the service is an important part of their overall care and recovery.

The service entails matching newly diagnosed women with a volunteer who’s had a similar cancer diagnosis and has undergone similar treatment. Our volunteers understand how newly diagnosed women might be feeling and the challenges they face, so they can offer practical and emotional support at a time when it’s needed most.

Living with Cancer Education Program

This program is for anyone newly diagnosed with cancer, though family members and friends are welcome too.

It offers practical information about many of the issues experienced after a cancer diagnosis, including:

• What cancer is and how treatment decisions are made
• The various cancer treatments, symptoms and side-effects
• The doctor-patient relationship
• What services are available and how to get to them
• Diet and exercise
• Myths about cancer
• Unproven treatments
• Relationships, self-esteem and body image
• Finding peer support and how to get the best from it
• Coping with loss and grief

Look Good – Feel Better

Look Good – Feel Better workshops are held around the state. They are open to women undergoing treatment for cancer and are sponsored by The Cancer Council Tasmania. The workshops are also supported by the cosmetic and beauty therapy industries, with trained therapists volunteering to ensure the program’s success.

The Welfare Grants and No-Interest Loans Scheme

A diagnosis of cancer can give rise to greater financial pressures and loss of income due to treatment and recovery. In recognising these additional pressures The Cancer Council Tasmania can offer grants of up to $200 a time or a no-interest loan of up to $1,000. Eligibility criteria apply for both grants and loans.

The Statewide Breast Prosthesis Scheme

The Cancer Council Tasmania has administered this scheme on behalf of the Department of Health & Human Services since August 2002. It provides financial assistance to buy breast prosthesis to those who meet the criteria or can demonstrate financial need.

© 2008 Cancer Council