Giving support in everyday life

One of the main goals of ARFEC is to address the specific needs of families. Being present in the hospitals and at activities makes it possible for us to keep up with the current developments and needs of families with a child with cancer. We not only ensure that the previous support measures are continued, but also continuously adapt to the current needs of the families. To provide them with further relief, we therefore also try to develop new  projects.

One of these is the project “Twenty hours of help in the home”. More and more treatments in hospitals are now being carried out on an outpatient basis, which means that stays are steadily shortening. This can be an advantage for the affected families but also entails a number of disadvantages. Because although children are usually better off at home than in hospital, much stricter attention has to be paid to the necessary hygiene measures there – especially if the child is immunosuppressed, i.e. the body’s own defence system is inhibited due to the therapy. 

In order to take the pressure off parents who are often very exhausted by their everyday life with a child suffering from cancer, we have launched the pilot project “Twenty hours of help in the home”. In an initial test phase, we have already been able to offer this service to some families, something that was very much appreciated and seen as providing real relief. On this basis, the Board has decided to continue the project and is now offering this service to all families who are members of ARFEC. For us, it is absolutely clear that relieving them of daily routine tasks frees up resources that benefit both the sick child and their siblings – all important things that help maintain the family equilibrium during this difficult time.