Support when health changes your everyday life.

Cancer diagnosis and ongoing support

Whether you are newly diagnosed, receiving treatment, living after treatment or supporting someone else, you can ask your oncology team for a patient navigator or social worker.

The American Cancer Society offers cancer information and connections to support, including transportation and lodging programs where available. Its cancer helpline is available by phone 24/7: 1-800-227-2345. Source: American Cancer Society support programs.

Find cancer support near you → Select “Search Nearby Programs” on the ACS website.

Questions for your care team

• Who can help me understand my next appointments and connect me with local support groups or counseling?
• Is there help with treatment travel, lodging, meals, insurance questions or financial assistance?
• Could an OT or rehabilitation referral help with the daily activities that are becoming difficult?
• Who should I call after hours if symptoms or side effects change?

Bariatric and weight-related support

This path includes support before and after bariatric surgery, as well as finding respectful weight-related care. You do not need to be considering surgery to ask for support.

NIDDK provides information about surgery options, potential benefits and risks, and life after surgery. Follow-up care matters; ask your bariatric team for your own nutrition, supplement, activity and follow-up plan. Source: NIDDK — metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Find obesity care providers near you → The Obesity Action Coalition links to this ZIP-code locator for care professionals, including bariatric surgeons, dietitians and other disciplines. Source: OAC provider-locator guidance.

Questions for your bariatric or primary care team

• Does your program offer a professionally facilitated support group, in person or online?
• Who coordinates follow-up, nutrition support and emotional well-being?
• Can you provide suitable seating, examination equipment, mobility aids and accessible transportation referrals?
• What services are covered by my plan, and what costs or referral requirements should I expect?

Ask an OT about practical support for bathing, dressing, moving around at home or returning to daily routines. Equipment should be selected with a qualified professional for fit, capacity and your individual needs.

Serious or terminal illness support

Palliative care supports comfort and quality of life with a serious illness. It can begin alongside treatment intended to cure or control the illness; a terminal diagnosis is not required. Hospice focuses on comfort and support near the end of life. Discuss which approach fits your goals with your care team. Source: National Institute on Aging — palliative and hospice care.

Questions for the care coordinator

• Can care be provided at home, and what support would family or caregivers need to provide?
• Who is available after hours, and what is our plan if symptoms change?
• What help is available for personal care, equipment, caregiver breaks, counseling, spiritual support or grief?
• How can I record what matters to me and discuss my care preferences with the people I choose?
• Which services, medicines, equipment and living costs are covered, and which are not?

If you are already receiving hospice care, use the contact and symptom-response plan provided by your hospice team.

Occupational therapy in palliative care

Occupational therapists can be part of the palliative and hospice team. They focus on what the person wants and needs to do, adapting daily activities as abilities and energy change. Goals may center on comfort, choice and connection rather than regaining previous abilities. Source: AOTA — Occupational Therapy and Palliative Care (full article may require membership).

What you can ask an OT about

• Everyday care: making washing, dressing and other routines more manageable.
• Energy: planning and pacing activities around fatigue and the person’s priorities.
• Comfort and equipment: assessing seating, positioning, equipment and changes to the home environment.
• Caregiver support: teaching individualized ways to assist and coordinating practical needs with the care team.
• Meaningful moments: adapting a valued activity, such as time with family or a favorite hobby, to what feels possible now.

Source: Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS — specialist palliative care OT. This UK clinical service illustrates OT roles; U.S. access and coverage must be confirmed locally.

How to request OT support locally

Ask your physician, palliative care coordinator or hospice team: “Can an occupational therapist help me with the activities that matter to me? Can they assess my home needs and teach my caregivers?” Ask whether an OT is available, how referrals work, and what your plan covers. OT visits are not automatically available through every program.

Share one personal goal, such as sitting comfortably with a loved one. The OT and care team can assess possible adaptations without expecting you to push through symptoms. Positioning, transfers and equipment need an individualized assessment.

Practical support for you and your caregivers

Bring the activities that matter to you into the care conversation: personal care, sleep, family time, work, hobbies and getting out into the community. Ask whether occupational therapy can help you adapt those activities to your current needs and goals.

• Insurance guidance, Medicare and Medicaid resources.
• Medical equipment and supplier resources.
• Mobility and transportation resources.
• Local 211 for community resource navigation, including food and household support.
• My Oasis for your own calendar, reminders and reflections.

When contacting a service, give your city or county and state. Ask about wait times, home visits, remote appointments, language access, physical accessibility and costs. In rural areas, ask whether regional programs serve your county.

Sources and corrections

Source pages linked beside the information were checked September 11, 2026. This is a source review, not independent clinical review or confirmation of local openings. Directory and program details may change.

Report outdated information or suggest an official local support resource.