Turlock, CA- A new support group for young adults with cancer begins August 10 at Emanuel Medical Plaza.

Hosted by Emanuel Regional Cancer Services, the support group for young adults, typically age 20 to 40-years, will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month.

"Young adults with cancer face unique challenges," said Lori Grossman, a social worker at the Stanford-Emanuel Radiation Oncology Center. "The purpose of this support group is to address the issues that are distinctive to young adults, such as long-term effects of treatment, reentry into school or work, financial concerns, infertility and body image concerns, as well as the impact on relationships."

Because caregivers of young adults with cancer are also in an unusual position, Emanuel is also offering a concurrent group for these support people.

For more information and to register, call Emanuel Regional Cancer Services at (209) 664-2434.

Hospice of Emanuel Volunteer Training
Training for new Hospice of Emanuel volunteers will begin, with the first of two Saturday sessions scheduled for August 21.

"Volunteers are an intricate part of Hospice care," explained Sandy Ricardo, support services coordinator at Emanuel. "Hospice of Emanuel is currently seeking individuals with a desire to assist terminally ill patients and their families by providing emotional support, respite care, translating, facilitating grief support groups, bereavement follow-up and working in the Hospice office as office assistants."

Specialty areas of need are people who can sew, licensed massage therapists and infant loss team members. Hospice Volunteers of all ethnic backgrounds are needed, Ricardo said.

Two day-long training sessions are required of all new volunteers. The first is August 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the second is September 11, also from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pre-registration is required. For more information, or to register, call Sandy Ricardo at (209) 664-2550.

Emanuel Medical Center is a not-for-profit, community-based Christian hospital. Its 415-bed multi-level medical campus includes a 209-bed acute care hospital, a 145-bed skilled nursing facility and a 49-bed assisted living facility. It provides emergency, critical care, pediatric, medical and surgical services, cardiology, cancer diagnosis and treatment services, women's health services, and hospice services.

For more information, to search for a doctor by specialty or location, or for an online symptom-checker, visit www.emanuelmedicalcenter.org.

-end-