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Finding and accessing the support you and your loved ones need over your prostate cancer experience
Your prostate cancer experience will involve learning more about yourself and your resilience, looking after yourself and seeking help and support.
In this section of your toolkit, you will discover how to complete a personal care and wellness plan, connect with PCFA nurses in person or via telephone, learn about a free prostate cancer counselling service and find out about support groups near you. You will also learn about two different PCFA programs, have access to a resource section for partners, family and carers and learn how to access financial and practical support.
Your wellbeing plan
Your prostate cancer experience will involve many tests and examinations, visits to healthcare professionals, treatments and ongoing care. A survivorship plan can help you look after your wellbeing and your help your healthcare team look after you more efficiently. Our survivorship plan is known as My Wellbeing Plan.
The My Wellbeing Plan is a downloadable, evidence-based survivorship and wellbeing resource tailored to meet your specific needs. Find out how to access the My Wellbeing Plan
Your Wellbeing Plan
Finding a nurse near you
PCFA nurses are registered nurses who specialise in prostate cancer – they are also called prostate cancer specialist nurses (PCSNs). PCFA nurses are available at certain healthcare settings, like hospitals, across Australia. We offer a free specialist nurse service when you are a patient of a healthcare setting where a PCFA nurse is located. These nurses can help you in many ways, including information, access to services and resources, support and being a direct point of contact for you. Find out how to connect with a PCFA nurse.
Finding a Nurse Near You
Our telenursing service
The PCFA Specialist Telenursing Service is a free service that connects you and/or family members with specialist PCFA nurses no matter where you live or at what stage you are in your prostate cancer experience. This service can provide you with emotional and practical support, helping you understand and make important decisions about your health care. Find out how to access the telenursing service.
Our Telenursing Service
Prostate Cancer Counselling Service
The Prostate Cancer Counselling Service or PCCS is Australia’s only specialised nationwide counselling service that is free for you to access. Wherever you are in your prostate cancer experience we can help you adjust and cope with any psychological or emotional challenges or issues. Find out how to access the PCCS.
Prostate Cancer Counselling Service
Support groups
Connecting with other men or family members who have been through or are going through a similar experience can be invaluable. They can also be company or people to have fun with. Support groups cross Australia may be helpful to you. Find out how to access support groups, including special purpose groups.
Support Groups
The Life Force Program
Our Life Force Program involves community speakers, shareable resources and engagement opportunities in workplaces and communities with the aim to raise awareness of prostate cancer and encourage more men to take action to improve their health. Learn how you can be part of the Life Force Program.
The Life Force Program
MatesCONNECT
MatesCONNECT is a telephone-based peer support service. If you are newly diagnosed, you can connect with a trained volunteer who has been through prostate cancer. They can provide practical and emotional support and can understand what you are going through. Find out how to access MatesCONNECT
MatesCONNECT
Information for partners, family and carers
Partners, family members, carers or friends of someone diagnosed with prostate cancer, can also feel the impact of your disease on their life, emotions, day to day living and ability to cope. Resources and information are provided in this toolkit to help these important people in your life support you and look after themselves.
Information for Partners, Family and Carers
Financial and practical support
Prostate cancer can have financial impacts from treatments, procedures, medications and travel. It may also affect your ability to work. There are several services that may be able to help you and/or your carers financially.
Financial and Practical Support
Where to get help
It’s important to remember that there is plenty of help available to you no matter where you are in the prostate cancer experience. If you are experiencing worrying and distressing physical, mental or emotional symptoms and need support, help is a phone call away.
Referrals to Health Professionals
Your questions answered
I have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which of the free support services can I access?
You can access the following free resources and services regardless of where you are at in your prostate cancer experience:
- My Personal Plan
- Our Telenursing Service
- Prostate Cancer
- Counselling Service
- Support Groups
If you are newly diagnosed, you can also access MatesCONNECT.
My workmates would like to help out by raising awareness– would the Life Force program be a good suggestion to give them?
That’s great that they would like to help out and raise awareness. If you are happy for them to raise awareness in your workplace or other workplaces, then our Life Force Program would be a great suggestion. Find out how they can join the program.
My family are struggling and feel like they are not helping enough or in the right way – what can I do?
It’s hard knowing how to help a loved one with prostate cancer. They can access the resources section of this toolkit created specifically for them: Information for Partners, Family and Carers. They can also connect with a PCFA nurse on Our Telenursing Service who can listen and provide support and resources. They may find support groups for family members helpful.
