Antea Worldwide Palliative Care Conference

Rome, 12-14 November 2008

ABSTRACT FORM

Presenting author CANCER PATIENTS’ RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY

Elisabetta Iannelli
Authors (max 6, presenting author included): Elisabetta Iannelli
Email:
eiannelli@favo.it Besides the biological aspects of the sickness, cancer patients and their family suffer in most cases
a form of social disease, which can be avoided and cured with success only by a cultural change
Phone in the direction of which Advocacy and Lobbying for the cancer patients are making great
progress in recent times, promoting the assessment of the social rights of the patients and
families. They can face obstility of an employer who believes they are unreliable for their disease
Mobile phone or for being involved in the assistance to their relative and daily problems in many fields for a
disability or just for the stigma of being affected by the disease.
A correct INFORMATION on the actual situation of the ill person, on the rights of the person,
and on the existing means of assistance and care is a main tool in relieving or preventing social
Please underline the most difficulties. Cancer patients’ associations believe that rehabilitation, psicological support,
appropriate category for your nutrition care, palliative care are rights to be really guaranteed to every person in all age and
abstract stage of the disease.
In Italy there are no specific social provisions for cancer patients, who have to fall back on the
• Pain and other symptoms
social provisions for disabled people in general who are subject to certification of the percentage
• Palliative care for cancer patients disability by a forensic medical commission. Furthermore, before 2006 it took months for the
• Palliative care for non cancer commission to issue a report, and financial assistance, if any, is only granted after a further
patients intolerable delay. In February 2006, as a result of a lobby action organized by the Federation of
• Paediatric palliative care the Italian Cancer Patients’ Associations (FAVO) a new specific statutory provision in favour of
cancer patients was approved that speeds up the temporary disability certification process and
• Palliative care for the elderly
brings it down to 15 days as against more or less 12 months. This means earlier application of the
• The actors of palliative care
same benefits (economical indemnity, job absence for disabled worker and his/her relatives etc.)
• Latest on drugs as those claimed by people with disabilities.
• Pain Employment is a main deal. It is of utmost importance for cancer patients and their relatives, in
case they feel like, to be still an active part of their society.
• Illness and suffering through For many patients it could be of great help to have the opportunity to switch to part-time when
media they need time for cure or rest, whilst when they have recovered they would like to be engaged
again in their job at full time. In 2003 the Italian Association for Cancer Patients, their families
• Marginalisation and social stigma
and friends (AIMaC) obtained from the Government, within the frame of a reformation of the
at the end of life
labour market,
• Palliative care advocacy projects that a substantive right to change from full time job to part time and reverse be granted
• Prognosis and diagnosis specifically to cancer patients by the law.
communication in This was the first experience of legislation made by agreement between a volunteers’ association
different cultures and the Government and, in Italy, this was the first time we have had a specific law for cancer
patients.
• Communication between doctor- In 2008 a joint lobbying action of FAVO and AIMaC lead to extend the part time rule to all
patient and patient- cancer patients and also to their relatives who need more time to take care of their beloved ones.
equipe
• Religions and cultures versus
suffering, death and
bereavement
• Public institution in the world:
palliative care policies
and law
• Palliative care: from villages to metropolies

• Space, light and gardens for the terminally ill patient

• End-of-life ethics
• Complementary therapies
• Education, training and research
• Session: Volunteer in palliative care

• Fund-raising and no-profit

Chair of the session: Dott. Silvana Zambrini
• Bereavement support

• Volunteer in palliative care

• Rehabilitation in palliative care