Everyday life – including bills, childcare and household matters – continues despite a diagnosis of blood cancer.

Families facing long and demanding treatment often have the added stress of managing the everyday pressure of practical and/or financial matters. Our Blood Cancer Support Coordinators are with you for every step of the journey – from diagnosis, throughout treatment, and during recovery – and can provide the practical support and advice you need to help navigate everyday life while living with blood cancer.

About our Practical support services

Our practical support services are designed to be just that: practical. We understand that a blood cancer diagnosis can have a huge impact on every aspect of your daily life, from work and finances, to family life and relationships.

We will work with you to understand what practical support you need and then connect you with services and supports that will help meet those needs and ease the stress of everyday life, so you can focus on your treatment. We can also act as a referral service and provide help with processing applications for support.

Our practical support can connect you to transport and accommodation services, financial advice and assistance, and support to manage work, study and family matters.

Our practical support services include:

Accommodation

• Assessment of your needs and referral to our accommodation team.
• Help with accessing state-based financial assistance schemes.

Find out more about our accommodation services.

Transport

• Assessment of your needs and referral to our transport team.
• Assistance accessing alternative local transport services.
• Help with accessing state-based financial assistance schemes.

Find out more about our transport services.

Finances

• Help accessing financial assistance schemes, including providing supporting assessment and documentation.
• Provide supporting assessment for financial assistance applications.
• Assessment of your needs and recommendations for financial review and support programs.
• Advocacy as required, such as master letter to advocate no gap medical charge or reduction of school and childcare fees.

Centrelink

• Discussion of relevant and applicable payments/allowances and eligibility.
• Help facilitating the process/referral to appropriate source.

Work/study commitments

• Assessment of your capabilities, limitations and aspirations and what this means for you and your current work situation.
• Information regarding options if you are unable to work, including income protection and accessing early superannuation.
• Help planning your return to work or identifying new work or volunteering options.

Family and home practical impacts

• Support, assessment and referral for assistance with practical impacts to family, schooling changes, home life, emergency child care.
• School visits to talk about a child’s illness.
• Sexuality, intimacy and relationship support, information and referral.
• Help connecting to local support services, such as meal delivery, community support and home help (such as cleaning assistance).
• Emergency childcare or respite care for an adult.

Practical services locations

These practical support services are available in each state and territory.

Practical services eligibility criteria

Our practical services are available to anyone living with blood cancer, their family and friends.

How to access practical services

Via referral and assessment from Blood Cancer Support Coordinators, treating facilities, social workers and welfare officers.

You can also contact us directly on 1800 620 420 or via email at info@leukaemia.org.au.

Practical services costs

No cost.