WITH ANT TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF CANCER PATIENTS

ANT Foundation is an unseen hospital that brings every day all the necessary care to cancer patients directly to their homes, thanks to the never-ending work of a multidisciplinary team.

ANT is active throughout the national territory and in Umbria offers home care to cancer patients with a team made up of: two doctors, two nurses, a nutritionist and a psychologist.

For three years the Valter Baldaccini Foundation has supported ANT and its active delegation in the Umbrian territory. In 2017 we contributed to the work of the nurse of the Elena team, in 2018 we "adopted" Dr. Sara, and over the past year we have engaged more actively in this social project by taking supporting the care of seven cancer patients with Home care for ANT cancer patients.

From the onset of the Covid-19 emergency to today, the situation has not changed. Cancer patients are fragile people and at this moment, more than ever, it is essential to protect their health by treating them at home.

All operators have received specific training on the virus and have been equipped with all the devices to be able to work safely: ffp2 masks, surgical masks, disposable gloves, disposable gowns, protective goggles, headphones and shoe covers. Psychologist and nutritionist are close to the sick and their families through calls and video calls.

The disruption caused by Coronavirus has created a 30% increase in requests for home care and a 50% increase in requests for psychological assistance. There have been increasing requests for care, so it is prudent not to go to the hospital for things such as medications, blood samples, blood transfusions, pain therapy, support therapy. The requests for psychological help instead concern not only the cancer disease, but also the fears and anxieties related to the epidemic.

Foundation support for 2020

Following these new conditions and the numerous requests from families and cancer patients, the Foundation has decided, for this year, to support ANT and the home care service through various activities:

• an aid for the purchase of PPE: 300 ffp2 masks, 500 gloves, 200 disposable gowns, 200 pairs of shoe covers, 200 headphones, 15 pairs of glasses and 15 alcoholic disinfectants for hand sanitization;
• one month of medical assistance or 160 home visits in the Perugia area and province for 40 cancer patients;
• free psychological support open to all who will implement and complete the one already guaranteed by ANT to their patients, opening the possibility for anyone who needs it to access free professional help with face-to-face interviews, by telephone or via the web. Psychological support offers a listening space to people who in recent months have faced mourning and who, due to forced isolation, may have felt especially fragile during this difficult period. The critical aspects that are emerging in this new daily life can be different: fear of being infected or of infecting a loved one, anxiety related to economic and work issues, relationship problems.