According to Cancer Council statistics one in two men and one in three women in Australia will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.
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With this in mind there is a very real chance that you will either have experienced a cancer diagnosis at some time in your life or you will know someone who has. Cancer is a sad reality for many people, their families and their friends.
While nothing can take away the suffering of this disease, there is an amazing network of support services in the Highlands on offer to ease the burden for those who are impacted.
Leading the way are the dedicated doctors and nursing staff, in particular those at the Cancer Centre located in the Southern Highlands Private Hospital. However, the voluntary support on offer is equally impressive.
One invaluable service is the GAPS (General and Practical Support (GAPS) program. GAPS volunteers generously offer their time to drive patients to their treatment and appointments. The service also offers home help. In the last financial year, the Southern Highlands GAPS service transported 427 passengers and travelled 29,148km which took 939.9 hours of volunteers time.
The support of the GAPS volunteers is easing the burden on those affected by cancer in many ways. The obvious is that they are getting patients where they need to be for appointments and treatments.
However, the underlying benefits may sometimes be overlooked – these include taking the worry out of how a patients will get to the next appointment – that is a worry for both the patient and their loved ones who may not always be able to meet the commitment.
Such a service is also providing patients with a connection to other people in the community. It provides patients a chance to connect with people outside their immediate circle of loved ones.
However, GAPS is also currently in need of support. More volunteers are needed to ensure the continued reach of the program in the Southern Highlands.
One of the great benefits of being a GAPS volunteer is that you can determine your availability. Call outs for GAPS support are made and each volunteer can nominate whether or not they are available for each job. It is a service where every contribution is invaluable.
Details: 0428 681 926.
