Support Networks

Letterkenny University Hospital – Support Networks

Hospital Based Services and Programmes

Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre:
The Daffodil Centre is a free, drop in centre providing cancer information, advice, help and support to anyone concerned about or affected by cancer. The cancer nurse and trained volunteers will take the time to listen, answer your questions about cancer and signpost as needed.

Questions about: 

• Emotional support
• Talking about cancer
• Cancer treatments and side-effects
• Practical support and advice
• Irish Cancer Society services
• Help to find resources in other languages and easy read information

No appointment or referral is needed. Our opening hours are: 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. The centre is located in the hospital on Floor B opposite the waiting area for the blood room.

You can contact the Daffodil Centre Cancer Nurse on: 074 91 04740 or email: daffodilcentreletterkenny@irishcancer.ie

SPARC (Supporting a Positive Attitude to Recovery from Cancer):

This Programme is designed to enable women who have completed their breast cancer treatment to gain more knowledge about coping with their experience and sharing ideas in a supportive environment. The Programme runs one night per week for four weeks and is facilitated by the Breast Care Nurse Specialist.

Bowel Cancer Support Group:

Further details are available from the Stoma and Colorectal Nurse Specialists

Pastoral Care:

The chaplaincy service is available within the hospital and offers support, prayers and sacraments as required.  Further information is available on the wards.

The Life and Cancer – Enhancing Survivorship (LACES):

The LACES programme is for patients who have finished cancer treatment or who are on maintenance therapy and living well with advanced cancer. The workshop can help you to adjust, live well, and feel your best, physically and emotionally. Cancer nurses deliver workshops online and face-to-face in some Daffodil Centres. LACES was developed by the Irish Cancer Society in partnership with the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP). To find out more contact the Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre

Moving On Programme (MOP):

When active treatment for cancer ends, you are encouraged to focus on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that you can reach your optimal physical and emotional wellbeing. This can be challenging to do alone so  this 12 week programme  provides you with help, guidance and support  to encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity.  Additionally, you will be given some useful tools and information that can help lower the risk of cancer returning as well as reducing the risk of developing a new cancer. For more information contact the MOP Coordinator on: 074 910 4642 or email: MOP.survivorship@gmail.com

Community Based Cancer Support Services

Cancer Care West

Cancer Care West is a West of Ireland cancer charity dedicated to supporting anyone with a cancer diagnosis.  The vision of Cancer Care West is that no one will go through cancer alone.  

It provides a holistic service that compliments medical treatment through the provision of residential accommodation (Inis Aoibhinn in Galway) and local support services.

The Letterkenny Centre provides a range of services and individual supports which includes: 

• Advice and information
• Psycho-oncology counselling
• Reflexology
• Manual lymphatic drainage clinic
• Combined Pilates & relaxation class
• Massage
• Various support groups  

The centre is led by a senior clinical psychologist and operates on a five-day week basis.  It also provides psycho-oncology support to inpatients of Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Hospice. The centre offers both drop in and appointment facilities.Like all services at Cancer Care West these services are offered free of charge to cancer patients and their families.

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm and Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Location:  Second floor, Station House, Pearse Road, Letterkenny
Phone:  074 960 1901

Other Support Services

Counselling Psychology Service:

There is a free counselling psychology service for people affected by cancer provided by Sligo Cancer Support Centre for Donegal patients.

To make an appointment, phone: 071 917 0399.

The service is available for people diagnosed with cancer and for people who have a loved one with cancer. For more information speak to your cancer nurse or the nurse in the Daffodil Centre.

County Donegal and Other Support Groups/centres:

There are a number of support and education groups available for cancer. 

To find one in your area or one relevant to you, visit the Daffodil Centre Nurse for a full up-to-date list.

If you are having radiotherapy, the hospital you are attending will have support groups in place that you can attend while on treatment.  Ask the nurses in the hospital for details.

Look Good Feel Better:

The aim of Look Good Feel Better is to help improve the well-being and confidence of women undergoing treatment for any type of cancer. They do this by providing free Look Good Feel Better workshops and advice, to help manage the visible side-effects caused by cancer and its treatment.

You will be provided with a gift bag containing beauty products donated from various companies.

To find out more contact the Daffodil Centre. To register for the next available workshop see their website: https://lookgoodfeelbetter.ie/

CLIMB® – Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery:

This is a support programme dedicated to helping children aged 5-12 cope with a parent’s cancer diagnosis.

The CLIMB programme is carried out over six sessions by trained healthcare professionals.  

The programme aims to strengthen children’s ability to cope with the feelings associated with their parent’s illness and it uses therapeutic art and play exercises to enable children to express their feelings.

Ask your nurse to refer you to the community social workers for the next available programme.

Other information:

Wigs and hairpieces:

If you need to have certain anti-cancer treatments or specific types of radiotherapy, it is possible that you may lose your hair, although this does not always happen. 

• If you have a medical card, the HSE will contribute towards and mostly cover the cost of a wig. The nurse looking after you will provide you with a form you can take to the wig supplier. Ask one of the nurses looking after you for more information.
• If you have a private health insurance policy this may cover the cost of your wig so you need to check your individual policy.
• If you have made PRSI contributions you may be entitled to €500 towards the cost of a wig under the Treatment Benefit scheme.

For more information on this or for a list of local wig suppliers, speak to the nurse looking after you or the Daffodil Centre nurse.

Financial concerns:

The diagnosis of cancer can result in financial concerns and difficulties.  Therefore, we suggest all patients consider applying for a Medical card.

If you are above the financial means test threshold then you could consider applying for a discretionary Medical card.

For more information and to apply online visit: https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/medical-cards/
For more information on any help that is available and up-to-date information visit the Daffodil Centre Nurse.  If you need a referral to the Social Worker in the community speak to your nurse who can organise this for you.

Transport:

During cancer treatment you usually need to attend lots of hospital appointments, some of which may be outside of Co. Donegal.  The nursing staff or the Daffodil Centre Nurse can give you guidance about transport or assistance available.  Here are the main available services:

• Irish Cancer Society Volunteer Driver Service – this provides you with free transport to and from your anti-cancer medication treatment at LUH. Ask your nurse or visit the Daffodil Centre for more information.
• Travel2Care – this is a limited fund to help with transport costs if you are travelling over 50km one way to a list of designated hospitals for cancer tests and treatment. Ask your nurse or visit the Daffodil Centre for more information.
• Friends of Letterkenny bus – transports patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment for free from LUH to St Luke’s hospital in Dublin on a Monday and returns back to LUH on a Friday. Ask your nurse or visit the Daffodil Centre for more information.

HSE Lymphoedema service:

This service is provided by specialised lymphoedema therapists at Scally Place, Letterkenny and in South Donegal. Ask the health care professional looking after you if you need a referral or for more information.

Further Information

If you require further information on HSE Services you can access the website www.hse.ie or contact HSELive on: 1800 700 700.