Living with Cancer
St. Luke’s offers a variety of cancer support services for cancer survivors. These services give support to patients living with cancer and their families.
Cancer support services offered by St. Luke’s
Education – Before and after breast cancer surgery, education includes individual counseling and referrals to community agencies.
Private breast prosthetic fittings – Certified fitters breast forms and bras.
Support groups – These groups provide support for breast cancer and prostate cancer survivors and those who are going through active treatment.
Family support groups – These groups provide support for adults diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, myeloma and myelodysplatic syndromes.
Coordination of cancer-related services – This includes follow-up care with referring agencies.
Crisis intervention and emotional support for cancer patients.
Counseling – This service is for family and friends of cancer patients.
Home health, hospice and nursing home referrals.
Issue Assistance – Issues include advanced directives, legal and financial concerns, conferences with health teams and more.
For more information about St. Luke’s Cancer Support Services, call 866-785-8537 (toll free) or 610-954-3580.
Cancer Rehabilitation Program
The Cancer Rehabilitation Program allows patients to take part in their care and recovery, while improving their overall health. Coordinated by the St. Luke’s Cancer Support Services staff, the program begins before surgery. However, patients may join the program at any point in their treatment and recovery.
The Cancer Rehabilitation Program includes...
- Pre-treatment education for patients undergoing cancer surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
- Special care for patients with pain and swelling in an arm or leg due to lymph node removal surgery.
- Individualized exercise and stretching programs as part of cancer rehabilitation in the St. Luke's Health & Fitness Center.
- Breast prosthetic fitting for women who undergo mastectomy for breast cancer.
- Pain management services are available to each cancer patient at St. Luke’s.
For more information about St. Luke’s Cancer Rehabilitation Program, call 888-954-3372 (toll free) or 610-954-3372.
Home Health Services
The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of St. Luke’s provides home health care services as continuing care to cancer patients. The VNA offers low-cost services to residents of Northampton, Lehigh, Bucks and Carbon counties.
The home-based services the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of St. Luke’s provides include...
- Skilled nursing
- Hospice
- Private duty services
- Home health aides
- Physical, occupational and speech therapy
- Medical social service
- Health Watch personal response systems
For more information about the home health care services offered by the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of St. Luke’s, call 610-691-1100.
End-of-Life (Palliative Care) Services
End-of-life (or palliative) care services are available for patients in the St. Luke’s Hospital inpatient cancer unit and at the Hospice of the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke’s. Services also are available through the home-based hospice program of the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke’s.
- A trained team of caregivers oversees in-hospital palliative care – This team develops a custom plan of patient care that stresses special end-of-life care with a focus on symptoms and pain management.
- Hospice of the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke’s provides services in patients’ homes and at its Bethlehem location – The inpatient hospice offers 24-hour nursing care in a comfortable, home-like setting. A living room, kitchen and Jacuzzi are available for patients and their family members.
For more information about end-of-life care available through St. Luke’s, contact the Visiting Nurse Association at 610-691-1100.