Building a Network of Support for Loved Ones
Building Your Network of Support
Supporting a loved one through breast cancer can be both meaningful and overwhelming. Parents, spouses, partners, siblings, co-workers and friends often carry a heavy weight, managing schedules, emotions, and responsibilities while trying to stay strong for the person they care about. It’s common to feel isolated, exhausted, or unsure where to turn, and those emotions are valid.
This section highlights ways to strengthen your own network of support. You’ll find professional guidance, peer connections, mental health care, and practical assistance designed to help you care for your loved one and yourself. Whether you need advice, community, or relief from the strain of daily demands, there are supporters ready to walk beside you.
Social Workers
When someone you love is diagnosed with breast cancer, it can feel like your world has shifted, too. Caregivers and family members often juggle emotional, practical, and physical demands while trying to stay steady for the person they care about. Social workers are there for you, too. These trained professionals provide counseling, guidance, and emotional support, helping you process your experience, manage stress, and access resources that make caregiving more sustainable
8 Ways Social Workers Support Caregivers and Families
Get Connected
If you’re loved one receives care at Dana-Farber:
You can reach a social worker directly by calling 617-632-3301. They’ll listen, answer questions, and connect you with support services tailored to your situation.
If you’re loved one does not keep their care at Dana-Farber or prefer a social worker closer to home:
Ask the hospital where your loved one receives care if they have oncology social workers accessible to loved ones. Most cancer centers have someone on staff who can provide similar emotional and practical support.
Or, if you prefer to work with your health insurance provider
Reach out to your insurance provider. They can help you find in-network therapists or counselors who specialize in working with people affected by cancer.
Resource Specialists
Supporting someone with breast cancer often means navigating practical challenges together—appointments, logistics, finances, and everyday responsibilities. Resource specialists partner with you and your loved one to find solutions that ease the load, so you can both focus your energy where it’s needed most.
How a Resource Specialist Can Help
Arrange local transportation to and from medical appointments that fit your budget
Locate short-term housing options close to the treatment center
Help with parking logistics and passes
Assist with applications for financial aid programs that cover childcare, housekeeping, or groceries
Gather the required paperwork for financial assistance programs
Share information about local food pantries
Connect you with fuel assistance and other community resources
Need to Connect with a Resource Specialist?
If you’re loved one is not a Dana-Farber patient:
Ask the care team or social worker if your loved one’s cancer center has a resource specialist or patient navigator who can help you coordinate transportation, financial, and daily living support.
If you’re loved one is a Dana-Farber patient:
Interested in connecting with a resource specialist? Call 617-632-3301 to reach the department directly.
Peer Community Support for Loved Ones
Caring for someone with breast cancer can be deeply meaningful, but it can also feel lonely, exhausting, and overwhelming at times. Peer support connects you with others who understand what it’s like to be in this role and carry the responsibilities that come with it. Sharing space with people who have faced similar challenges can bring comfort, perspective, and strength that friends or family outside the experience may not fully grasp.
