The disease process of many brain or neurological cancers may often mirror symptoms commonly seen in dementia. When a patient in her early 70s had a sudden onset of dementia-like symptoms after her brain tumor resection, the utilization of community programs for dementia support helped her husband to be able to continue to provide care for her at home. While there is often a lack of community resources to provide practical support to brain cancer caregivers, there are often at least some local agencies for dementia caregiving. Many facets of caregiving were addressed through connecting the patient and caregiver to these community resources.  

Addressing Knowledge Gaps
The patient’s husband has no experience with dementia caregiving. His wife’s symptoms began abruptly after surgery. Some of his wife’s behaviors were troubling to him, such as when she asked to go “home” even though she was already home, or when she referred to him as her father rather than her husband. A referral was made to a local RCI REACH (Rosalynn Carter Institute) caregiver coach. This program allows for 12 free one-to-one caregiver coaching sessions in the home to assist caregivers in problem-solving real-life scenarios. The husband reported feeling much more at ease with these situations when he began to understand the reasons behind the behavior and was able to take them less personally. 

Reducing Isolation
There is evidence to suggest regular social interaction helps maintain cognitive function (1). The patient and caregiver were connected with a local nonprofit, Fox Valley Memory Project, that serves those living in the community with dementia and their care partners. The primary aim of Fox Valley Memory Project is to help people with memory loss maintain social connections. Participants regularly attend “memory cafes” and “lunch bunches,” which allow them to socialize with other couples experiencing memory loss. The World Health Organization recognizes that social connection protects health across the lifespan (2). In fact, the practice of “social prescribing,” (3) or providers writing “prescriptions” for socialization, is a key component of England’s national health service Universal Personalized Care initiative and is gaining popularity in the United States (4,5). It is an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social, and emotional needs that affect their health and well-being.  

Respite
Also, through the Fox Valley Memory Project, the patient enrolled in respite classes that encourage her independence and give her husband a break from caregiving. Through these classes, the patient has formed new friendships, and her husband can attend to his own health and wellness needs while she is there. The classes include conversation, exercise, a meal, and other cognitive and recreational activities. The use of respite is associated with positive outcomes for both the caregiver and the patient, such as delayed institutional care, fewer hospitalizations, and reduced caregiver burnout. Yet 85% of caregivers do not use formal respite services, often due to lack of awareness of availability, unrealized benefit, and cost to participate (6). The patient’s husband reports great improvement in her cognitive symptoms with involvement in these therapeutic activities.  

Conclusion
Knowledge of community resources for those with memory loss can be transferable to oncology social work practice, especially if the patient’s symptoms reflect dementia symptoms. Caregiver education can help the caregiver adjust to new behaviors and improve communication. Involvement in social activities provides emotional and mental health benefits by reducing isolation. Finally, the patient and caregiver relationship improves when regular respite provides needed breaks and boosts the patient’s own sense of confidence.  

References 

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2. https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2025-social-connection-linked-to-improved-heath-and-reduced-risk-of-early-death  
3. https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/  
4. Golden TL, Maier Lokuta A, Mohanty A, Tiedemann A, Ng TWC, Mendu M, Morgan N, Kuge MN, Brinza T. Social prescription in the US: A pilot evaluation of Mass Cultural Council’s “CultureRx”. Front Public Health. 2023 Jan 19;10:1016136. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1016136. PMID: 36743160; PMCID: PMC9892638.  
5. Social prescribing in the USA: emerging learning and opportunities Marshall, Rachel et al.
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