(ChemotherapyAdvisor) – Caregivers of cancer patients will soon get a helping hand courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ridgefield, CT) and CancerCare (New York, NY). Today, the organizations issued a joint announcement for the launch of My Cancer Circle, a free, private, customizable online tool that enables caregivers of people facing cancer to organize and coordinate a circle of family members and friends to provide practical and emotional support. The announcement is being made in a timely fashion, alongside the commencement of the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
According to its co-developers, My Cancer Circle will provide caregivers of people facing cancer a simple, effective answer to a question they are asked constantly, “What can we do to help?” The website, which is powered by technical-support provider Lotsa Helping Hands, will help cancer patients and their caregivers develop their own online caring community that brings together friends, family and volunteers for support. In addition to building social-support networks, My Cancer Circle will help families and others surrounding the patient to manage daily activities such as cleaning, preparing meals, transportation, etc., to reduce the daily stress faced by the caregivers of cancer patients.
MyCancerCircle will encourage message and photo sharing among community members, while providing access to resources available through CancerCare, including counseling services, support groups and educational workshops.
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