People who receive cancer treatment will need care at home. You may not know how to do many health-related tasks. This topic explains how to give clinical care at home.
Information on home care and nursing services in the Greater Toronto Area.
People having treatment need to live in a clean place. Clean places help reduce the risk of infection. This section explains how to prevent infections at home.
Infections can happen in hospitals too. Learn how to prevent infections during your visit to the hospital.
Skin can have germs. To reduce the chance of infection, people must shower before having surgery. This brochure explains how to clean the skin before surgery.
Food can be a source of infection. These videos explain how to make food safe.
Germs can be present at any place in a home. This website has cleaning tips that you can try at home.
After a surgery, a person will need care. This section talks about how to manage surgery pain and how to take baths.
People can feel pain after surgery. This brochure is designed for patients, but it can help you learn how to reduce pain after surgery.
People feel pain in different ways. When a person is feeling pain after surgery, they must tell their healthcare team. These videos show a patient and doctor talking. You can learn what the healthcare team will ask, and how to describe pain.
Some treatments can cause sore, dry, and itchy skin. Doing saline soaks can help keep skin clean and help it heal. Learn more about how to do a saline soak at home using this brochure.
Some people may need injections as part of their treatment. This section explains how to give an injection and how to practise needle safety at home.
Used needles need to be thrown out safely. This brochure explains how and where to throw away used needles.
Some medicines come in a pre-filled syringe. This website is made for patients, but you can learn how to give a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection.
Moving around can be hard for some people. This section explains how to support a person that cannot move. You can also find information about funding for mobility aids.
If a person has difficulty moving, physiotherapists can help. This website explains how to contact physiotherapists at Princess Margaret and what they can do for you.
You can get physiotherapy outside of the hospital. This brochure lists physiotherapy programs, who can attend, and how to contact them.
People who need a walker or a wheelchair may wonder how they can afford to buy one. The Ontario government has a program called the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) to help you with some of these costs. Use this brochure to learn more about how to apply for the ADP.
FIf your health care team has recommended some equipment to help you manage safely at home, you’ll need to choose a supplier or ‟vendor”.
FIf your Information on common healthcare equipment and where to find them.
Central lines are tubes that are put into the vein to insert medicine. This section explains how to use and care for central lines.
This brochure explains what a tunnelled central venous catheter (CVC) is. It also explains how to take care of a CVC and who to call if you have questions.
This brochure explains what a peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) is. It also explains how to take care of a PICC and who to call if you have questions.
How to Flush and Lock your Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
"Flushing Your CVC" means putting a small amount of saline into each lumen to clear it out. In this video you will learn the following: 1) What is flushing and locking your CVC 2) When to flush and lock your CVC 3) How to flush and lock your CVC
During treatment, some people feel weak and can fall easily. This section explains what you can do at home to prevent falls.
There are simple ways to adapt at home to prevent falls. This brochure explains who is at risk of falling and what you can do to prevent falls.
You can ask for help during your appointments to prevent falls. This brochure explains what you can do before leaving your home and after you get to the hospital.
This brochure explains ways to prevent falls at the hospital.
Ostomy is a hole made during surgery to allow stool or urine to leave your body. An ostomy pouch needs care to be kept clean. This section explains how to care for different kinds of ostomy pouch.
A Clinical Nurse Specialist can teach you how to manage your ostomy pouch system. This website explains how to ask for a Clinical Nurse's assistance at Princess Margaret.
It is important to watch what you eat and drink after an ileostomy to keep your stoma from blocking, and to make sure your body is hydrated (getting enough fluids). Read this brochure to learn more about how and what to eat and drink after your ileostomy surgery.
Before your surgery, it is important to understand what an Abdominal Perineal Resection (APR) With Colostomy is and the care that is needed after surgery. Learn more about how to care for yourself when you get home using this brochure.
A tracheostomy is a hole in the throat that helps people breathe better. This section explains how to prepare for a tracheostomy and how to care for it.
Some people need a tracheostomy to breathe better. This brochure explains what to expect when getting a tracheostomy, how to prepare for the surgery, and how to clean the tracheostomy tube.
Caring for a tracheostomy can be very stressful. These videos explain how to care for a tracheostomy to reduce the risk of infection.
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A feeding tube is a plastic tube in the stomach that is used to insert food and medicine. This section explains what to expect when getting a feeding tube and how to use it.
A gastrostomy tube (G-tube) is put in the stomach to give the body nutrients and fluids. This brochure explains how to care for a G-tube, how to deal with problems, and how to ask for help.
Some people get a G-tube and go home the same day. This brochure explains how to prepare for having a G-tube inserted, and how to take care of the G-tube when the patient goes home.
After breast cancer surgery, it can take a few weeks to recover. This section explains what care a person will need to recover safely.
After breast surgery, a patient needs care for a few days. This brochure explains how to take care of the wound, and what to do while healing.
Patients getting breast surgery with drains need care after leaving the hospital. This brochure explains how to care for the drains, how to drain them and when to ask for help.
There are many types of breast reconstruction surgeries. This brochures explains what to do after each type of surgery, how to care for the wounds, and what activities are safe.
Going home after breast reconstruction surgery can be stressful. This brochure explains how to care for a person after breast reconstruction, and when to ask for help.
Some people use breast prostheses after breast surgery. This brochure explains what a breast prosthesis is, how to choose the right breast prosthesis and where to look for more information.
Getting a breast prosthesis can be hard when a person has drains. This brochure explains which bras and prostheses to use after breast surgery with drains.
There are many types of bras and breast prostheses. This website explains different bra types, forms, and how to prepare for a fitting.