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Build some ideas with your peers about what support may be helpful for Daisy and her family which you can re-visit and add to as you work your way through the remainder of the tasks.
There are many different types of support that could be offered to Daisy and her family. some examples are emotional support for parents through group sessions or online sites that offer support from other families going through a similar situation. Daisy’s cancer is grade 3 so it will be terminal. Her life since her diagnosis has become about treatment, hospital appointments, and tests and her condition has impacted her whole life. One thing that could be done would refer to charities like make a wish to offer Daisy an opportunity to have one wish granted. This will at least give her something to focus on other than her condition.
I agree with Becky there are many forms of support. Along with what she has highlighted, daisy may benefit from respite care there she will be able to mix with other children in similar situations. this will give her parents and the rest of the family some time. she may benefit from therapies such ad art therapy or play therapy in these sessions she can describe feelings through play and/or drawings. She may need some educational support as she may have missed some school due toy treatment. her parents may need counseling, as they may find that this helps them express feelings that they otherwise may have hidden so the “family life” can carry on as normally as it can.
Practical support for the family eg. care for Daisy to allow time off for her parents or organised day trips or activities for brother and sisters
Emotional support for parents and siblings eg. support groups or counselling, connecting with families in similar positions.
I like Becky’s suggestion regarding ‘Make a Wish’ for Daisy. She seems to like animals (the family dog plays a big role in her emotional wellbeing as well as playing nurses when the community team visit) – could base something around this?Emotional help for all of the family would be a great help as Daisy’s illness will effect them all differently. Respite for the parents and siblings would be important to ensure that Linsey & George are able to live as normal lives as possible. It could benefit Daisy to be around/meet other children going through the same thing so she doesn’t feel so alone and different. Some form of counselling for everyone would be beneficial so that everyone can speak freely in a safe environment.
I agree with you Louise, emotional support for the whole family is absolutely crucial. We all deal with and navigate our way through things differently so being able to have emotional support would be great.
I also agree about the respite for the family. You often don’t realise how on earth you are getting through a situation in life, particularly one as emotive/stressful as this. I imagine they must go on autopilot to try and cope with it all, on top of trying to maintain some kind of “normality” in their lives, the stress and uncertainty would be so great. Respite allows them to at least hold on to some sense of “normality” and enables them to have something else in their lives. No one can cope with continual stress while being unsupported. If they can receive as much help and support as possible, then mentally and physically they will be able to continue to deal with the events in their lives. If they are depleted then there’s no way they would be able to continue.
Allowing Daisy to socialise with other children, but also children who understand what she is going through is also a positive for her health and well-being. She arguably wants to feel like life does not just revolve around appointments and being poorly. Make a wish sounds like an amazing idea!I would agree that emotional and mental support for Daisy and her family would be really beneficial for them.
Also i would like to put some more effort and look for other sources of gaining; more social interactions via online games, possibly within social group chats, community family support groups with families who might experience similar situation as this should support their not only health but also well being.
Lastly as mentioned already above the idea of make a wish is just brilliant!I agree with what others have put and would also like to mention the potential for needing financial help, supporting a very unwell child could have an impact on the parent’s ability to work both emotionally and physically due to caring for and attending appointments with Daisy. Also even if parents do have a steady income by whatever means the cost of living could cause financial worries, for example, Daisy may need the heating on more to stay well or need power for oxygen etc., Help is available and they could seek advice from the government directly or via their named nurse or key worker.
I agree with everything said above, specifically one to suggest maybe local groups for children such as this one which is at my local hospice and was on Children in Need a few years back: https://youtu.be/gViuChplHn4
Daisy may struggle with not being able to do things she used to so perhaps spending time with other children who have similar illnesses can help her to bond and form new friendships. It may stop her feeling as left out or different from other peers.
I agree with the other comments; Daisy and her family will need emotional and financial support. Emotional support can be through individual counselling, family counselling, the palliative care team, joining groups for parents who care for a child with cancer or groups for children living with cancer. Respite is also needed for both Daisy, her siblings and her parents. Financial support information and where to access help should be given by the nurses. Macmillian is very supportive of financial information.
Definitely emotional support for the whole family, including respite care for Daisy as mentioned in the comments above. Provide information to the family of the various support groups that can help locally, in terms of talking to others and understanding how they manage. Financial hardship will be another worry; therefore, it will be worth knowing what financial support is out there in terms of having family days out, holidays so that they can spend quality time together and make lasting memories outside the hospital environment.
I agree with the need for both emotional and financial support suggestions above. As Ariane said the support in the form of childrens groups with similar issues will help Daisy as well as the parents. The person/family centred approach needs to be applied to ensure the best outcomes for the family.
Make a wish is fantastic and most nurses can put the family in touch with them, i know specialist oncology at UHCW do this! They act as an advocate for the patient and families needs and tailor the support they need to suit each family. Even if this is outside of your knowledge or accessibility as a nurse, the specialists in paliative care, childrens care or oncology will have the means to do so, so often just the referral to the wider MDT is needed.
Daisy and her family could do wit a great deal of support from healthcare workers (doctors, nurses etc) to family and friends. the way to support can be so many different things. Emotional support – someone to talk to, cry to, hug etc. Daisy could also support from talking-to children in similar situations but most of all we need to try and make the remainder of her life as memorable and happy as possible so like others have mentioned the make a wish.
Things that also would help the family would be helping them tidy there house as I imagine a lot of their time is spent at the hospital, cooking them a meal, giving lifts to the hospital if needed and just general support that might seem a little thing but actually goes along way and helps.
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