Cancer Association Of Anderson

THE CANCER ASSOCIATION OF ANDERSON (CAA) IS THE ONLY LOCAL CANCER CHARITY IN ANDERSON COUNTY. OUR MISSION IS TO HELP REDUCE THE BURDEN ON ANDERSON COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO ARE BATTLING CANCER BY PROVIDING TREATMENT-RELATED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, INFORMATION AND REFERRAL AS WELL AS EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL SUPPORT. CAA PROVIDES SUCH SERVICES TO CANCER PATIENTS THROUGHOUT ANDERSON COUNTY AT NO COST, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES OR WHERE THEY RECEIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT. CAA'S VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SEEK TO COMPLEMENT OUR PATIENTS' CANCER JOURNEYS THROUGH HOLISTIC AND INTEGRATIVE/COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES TO CANCER PREVETION, SURVIVORSHIP, EDUCATION AND INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: IN 2021, CAA PROVIDED DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MORE THAN 5,200 CANCER PATIENTS OUT OF OUR 6,006 TOTAL CANCER PATIENT CONTACTS WHO HAD SUCH NEEDS AS PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE, SPECIALLIZED HOME- HEALTH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, TRAVEL TO AND FROM TREATMENT - MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION VIA CAA'S NEW VEHICLE (NAMED HOPE) WITH A DEDICATED DRIVER TO ASSIST PATIENTS AND TRANSPORT TO TREATMENT, AND SUPPLEMENT DUE TO INCREASED VOLUME BY UBER/LYFT SERVICES WHEN NEEDED (BOTH LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE), SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITIONAL DRINKS SUCH AS BOOST/ENSURE, AND ENROLLMENT IN CAA'S NEW "WELL-FIT" PROGRAM, WHICH EDUCATES PATIENTS IN AREAS OF NUTRITION, EXERCISE & STRENGTH TRAINING, FINANCIAL CONCERNS DURING/AFTER TREATMENT, FMLA-EMPLOYEE RIGHTS & SMOKING CESSATION, ETC. (THIS PROGRAM EXPANDED UPON THE PREVIOUS ONCOLOGY REHAB PROGRAM). ADDITIONALLY, CAA PAID INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR PATIENTS IN DANGER OF LOSING COVERAGE DUE TO BEING OUT OF WORK DURING ACTIVE CANCER TREATMENT AND PROVIDED ITEMS SUCH AS FREE WIGS, SCARVES AND HATS DUE TO TREATEMNT RELATED HAIR LOSS, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES TO PATIENTS. ALSO ADDED IN 2021 IS CAA'S NEW NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPY OPPORTUNITY FOR CANCER PATIENTS WITH SCARRING FROM SURGERY TO WORK WITH ADVANCED MASSAGE TO REDUCE SCAR TISSUE AND INCREASE RANGE OF MOTION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, QUALITY OF LIFE.

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL: CAA CONTINUES TO HANDLE DAILY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CANCER PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AS WELL AS REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL CANCER RESOURCES. CAA MAINTAINS A SMALL LIBRARY OF BOOKS, VIDEOS AND PAMPHLETS FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. CAA PROVIDES SPEAKERS TO CHURCHES, CIVIC GROUPS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING CANCER TREATMENT AND SERVICES AND IS FREQUENTLY CONTACTED BY LOCAL MEDIA FOR COMMENTARY ON CANCER ISSUES. INFORMATIONAL BOOTHS/TABLES ARE REGULARLY SET UP AT COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS THE ANDERSON COUNTY FAIR AND VARIOUS LOCAL HEALTH FAIRS, PUBLIC EDUCATION WAS ALSO CONDUCTED AS PART OF THE CAA'S ANNUAL CONCERT OF HOPE & REMEMBRANCE, WHICH DUE TO COVID-19 WAS CONDUCTED AS A DRIVE-IN MOVIE EVENT, WITH THE AUDIENCE OF 350+ GATHERING IN THE CIVIC CENTER OF ANDERSON PARKING LOT, SOCIALLY DISTANCING IN THEIR VEHICLES WATCHING THE PERFORMANCE ON A 50' SCREEN WITH AUDIO STREAMED THROUGH CAR RADIOS. ADDITIONALLY, THE GIRLFRIENDS TEA ATTENEDED BY 280+ SOCIALLY DISTANCING AT THE BLECKLEY STATION, THE HEROES OF HOPE & REMEMBRANCE DINNER WHICH WAS HELD OUTSIDE AT THE OXFORD FARM WITH 180+ ATTENDING IN A SOCIALLY DISTANCED MANNER.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT: EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BEGINS AS PATIENTS ENTER OUR COMFORTING, UPLIFTING "HOME- AND BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED GROUNDS WHERE PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN COME FOR HOPE AND ENCOURAGMENT BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND IN A GROUP. (IN 2021, CAA HAD TOTAL PATIENT CONTACTS OF 6,006). CAA UTILIZES AND INCORPORATES SUPPORTIVE "INTEGRATIVE" PROGRAMS/COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES THAT UPLIFT AND ENHANCE THE PATIENT'S ABILITY TO FIGHT CANCER AND WHICH MAY HELP CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENTS WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY. AROMATHERAPY, MINDFULLNESS, YOGA AND OTHER STRENGTH/STRETCHING EXERCISES, MUSIC THERAPY, JUICING AND HEALTHY NUTRITION CLASSES, GRIEF SUPPORT, ART AND PET THERAPIES ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CURRENT CAA OFFERINGS TO PATIENTS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR CAA STAFF AND BOARD HAVE HOSTED AND/OR FACILITATED ONSITE SUPPORT-GROUPS FOR SURVIVORS OF BREAST CANCER, URO-GENITAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS, AS WELL AS HEAD AND NECK CANCERS. DURING 2021, THE 1 IN 8 SUPPORT GROUP (BREAST CANCER) REGULARLY ATTENDED BY 20-22 MONTHLY (VIA ZOOM DUE TO COVID-19), EXPANDED THE PROGRAM TO INCLUDE PATIENTS WITH OTHER CANCERS AND CHANGED THE NAME TO "1 IN 8 PLUS" IN ORDER TO REACH MORE PATIENTS. ALSO, CAA PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS AND FAMILIES OF PATIENTS HAD COUNSELING OPPORTUNITIES FOR 12-WEEK "STRESS MANAGEMENT" SESSIONS (MEETING 1.5 HOURS BI-WEEKLY) AT FERNVIEW HEALING CENTER. CAA'S ONCOLOGY REHABILITATION IN-PERSON PROGRAM WAS PUT ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19. HOWEVER, THE ONLINE CLASSES CONTINUED WITH AN AVERAGE OF 10-15 VIEWERS LIVE AND MANY MORE WATCHING THE SAVED VIDEOS (VIA FACEBOOK).