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 Chaiyanu,
the Israeli affiliate of Chai Lifeline,
the largest Jewish organization dealing with childhood illness,
has sought to develop and implement practical and psychosocial
support programming that benefits the sick child, the immediate
family, and the larger family - the community in which they
live.
When
a child is diagnosed with a catastrophic illness, the entire
family is affected.
For the stricken youngster, life becomes a frightening round
of hospital stays and debilitating treatment protocols.
For
the shocked and overwhelmed parents, the phrase "normal
routine" loses all meaning as daily concerns are sublimated
to the more immediate and critical needs of the sick child.
For
siblings, who may have little or no understanding of what's
happening to their brothers or sisters, the world often
becomes a frightening and confusing place.
To greater and lesser degrees, the diagnosed youngster's relatives,
neighbors, friends, teachers and classmates are also touched
by his illness. They may have questions, fears and concerns
that need to be addressed.
Community
Our programs, always free of charge and delivered with love,
ease the burden of living with illness for hundreds of families,
enabling them to care for their children, maintain their optimism
and hope, and weather the inevitable ups and downs of life-threatening
or lifelong illness.
Professional Case Management, this Chaiyanu Staff member is
there to provide psychosocial support to patients and their
families, to offer support and manage access to the Chaiyanu
network of programs. This description does not begin to do
justice to the extraordinary assistance case managers give
their clients every day. They provide emotional support through
their visits and phone calls. They are the client advocates
and repositories of information about programs offered by
Chaiyanu. Case managers liaise with hospital staff and often
help clients understand hospital policies and procedures.
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