Cancer patients are set to benefit from an enhanced array of programs as the Albury Wodonga Wellness Centre secures a boost in funding.
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An increase in funding of almost $40,000 for the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Wellness Centre in 2023-24 will allow the expansion of vital therapy services provided for cancer patients.
The funding, supported by community donations to the Albury-Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund, will amplify the services already on offer which include counselling, mindfulness training, massage, yoga, art therapy, exercise programs and support groups.
Board member Kerry Strauch said the wellness centre helped her immensely during her own battle with breast cancer two years ago.
"When people are diagnosed with cancer, it's more than just the medical side of things," she said.
"It also involves coping with your diagnosis, coping with the psychological impact - it's all really scary.
"So the wellness centre looks at cancer patients as a whole person rather than just the medical diagnosis, enabling social connection and letting patients know they are not alone in their journey."
Wellness Centre Coordinator, Ben Engel, said the funding would help meet increased demand for therapy services provided through the centre, where attendance has doubled in the past year.
"There is a new focus on exercise during cancer treatment," Mr Engel said.
He said the funding would allow the eight-week yoga program to be increased from two to four times a year and the 10-week group exercise oncology program to also be delivered four times a year.
There will also be more places for patients seeking individual exercise oncology.
The funding increase will support the continuation of a new art therapy program introduced earlier this year and recruitment of a new trainer for mindfulness programs.
The subsidised voucher program for patients will be expanded to increase the availability of oncology massage, physiotherapy, dietetics and lymphoedema therapy.
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Ms Strauch said therapies for cancer patients were about more than clinical treatment and needed to include carers and family.
"Often when we think about cancer we focus on the medical ramifications and we forget there's a whole person there; there's a person who needs psychological support, physical support, emotional support and any one or combination of those," she said.
"It's not only the person who's diagnosed with cancer but also the families and the people closest to them; it's support for them as well because they too are affected by the diagnosis and have concerns and fears for their loved one."
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