Ochsner Lafayette General offers a variety of support groups to aid you on your road to recovery. We have a team of experienced staff members ready to guide you back to health. In living by our mission statement “To Restore, Maintain and Improve Health,” these groups focus on supporting patients and their families beyond treatment. To register for a class, visit our event calendar or call the number listed in the description.
Forever Connected Survivorship Program
The “Forever Connected” program is the survivorship program at Ochsner Cancer Center of Acadiana, and you are a member of the Forever Connected program through your diagnosis and treatment here and throughout your life’s journey. Along with your team, with your oncologist in the lead, you will develop a long-term health care plan. While some patients choose to return to their primary care physician for follow-up monitoring, our patients always have a home here in the Forever Connected program.
Not only will you have the best care available during your acute care, that same level of excellence will be available to you in the Forever Connected program. In addition, other services, like having psychosocial services available on-site, provided by our clinical social worker and medical psychologist make Ochsner Cancer Center of Acadiana and the Forever Connected program not just any other cancer program. Services such as genetic counseling, education and referral services are all available to assist you through your journey, even when the acute care is completed.
The Forever Connected program gives you access to education on legal issues important to cancer patients, information and education on financial management during your journey, and access to other services like end of life issues to assist you and family through even the most difficult times.
In short, once diagnosed with cancer, you are Forever Connected to our family and you are as “connected” as you would like to be throughout your journey.
Acadiana Stroke Support Group
After a stroke, it may seem that no one understands what you’re going through. You may feel isolated and adrift. The Acadiana Stroke Support Group is here to help. We are a new support system for survivors and families, to provide that ‘life raft’ of hope and understanding on the road to recovery. For more information, call (337) 289-7740.
The group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. in the Second Floor Classroom, Suite 2500 at Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Office Building, 4212 W. Congress Street, Lafayette, LA 70506. Pre-registration is not required to attend.
Weight Loss Surgery Support Group
Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center’s comprehensive weight loss surgery program offers support groups twice a month. An array of topics are discussed on a monthly basis which included but are not limited to diet, exercise, behavior changes and emotional needs following weight loss surgery. Our support groups are closed meetings, only available to patients who have had surgery or those patients who are scheduled to have surgery. For more information, call (337) 289-8484.
Meetings are held on in the Bariatric Office Conference Room, located on the 3rd floor of the Ochsner Lafayette General Surgical Hospital at 1000 West Pinhook Rd., Suite 311. Visit our Event Calendar for dates.
Footprints of Hope Bereavement Group
Ochsner Lafayette General collaborates with Maddie’s Footprints to offer a free support group for parents who have experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death. It is available to families, no matter where they are in their grief, and no matter how long it has been since their loss. You may choose to talk or listen; no one will be required to share. This group will facilitate discussion and provide resource information. For more information, contact Maddie’s Footprints at (337) 534-4209.
Meetings are held the second Sunday of every month from 4-6 p.m. at Healing House; Hope for Grieving Children. (707 Lee Ave, Lafayette)
Parents of Multiples Support Group
Support group for parents of multiples of all ages, including those pregnant with multiples. This group will focus on the unique joys and challenges that come with a multiple pregnancy and raising twins, triplets, and more!
The class will be held at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center in the 2nd floor Pavilion Classroom beginning at 6 pm. It is free of charge but pre-registration is required. We will contact you if the class is full; otherwise, consider the email following completion of your registration as confirmation.
Acadiana Ostomy Association Support Group
New ostomates and others are welcome to attend meetings of the Acadiana Ostomy support group, and receive information and support to enhance the quality of life for persons living with an intestinal or urinary diversion. Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Owen Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. except for the months of August & December. For more information, please call 289-7587.
Kidney Smart
Ochsner Lafayette General hopes to help Acadiana residents in all phases of kidney disease through Kidney Smart, a national program offered free of charge. The program offers classes on causes, prevention and treatments of kidney disease. Patients will learn from expert educators how kidneys function and ways to manage their medication, diet and health.
Free classes are scheduled on the first Thursday of every month from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center Radiation Oncology Department conference room located at 155 Hospital Dr., Suite 102, directly behind the Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center. Registration for this class is required. To register or for more information, please call 289-7528.
WomenHeart of Acadiana Support Group
WomenHeart of Acadiana offers a monthly Support Group to provide women living with heart disease critical peer-to-peer support, information and encouragement. WomenHeart is the nation’s only patient-centered advocacy, education and support organization solely dedicated to serving the nearly 48 million women in the U.S. living with or at risk of heart disease.
Meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of every month from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Office Building, 3rd Floor Suite 3000 (4212 W. Congress St., Lafayette, LA).
