A New ACS Program Brings Holistic Care to Hope Lodge

On July 23, the American Cancer Society hosted an open house at its Hope Lodge Philadelphia, introducing guests, caregivers and community members to the EMPOWER program. The national program is designed to provide holistic care to anyone touched by cancer.

Through their 30-plus Hope Lodges, ACS provides free housing to cancer patients and their caregivers whose treatment is far from home. The Empower program stands for: Engage, Move, Play, Optimize, Waken, Enrich and Resource. Each lodge will do programs that best suit the needs of their guests.

In Philadelphia, general manager Ochi Ogbogu shared that the lodge will focus on three aspects: food as medicine, yoga and mindfulness, and creativity. “I think that a program like this is valuable because it provides a whole body approach,” Ogbogu says. “When patients are going to the hospital, they are going through their treatment, we know that underneath, they have other aspects of their well-being that need to be nourished and need to be focused on. The mental health aspect is very important. The nutritional aspect is important. It creates a holistic approach to taking care of patients who have cancer.”

Ogbugu also says she appreciates that caregivers and survivors are part of the program, as well. “For a long time, at Hope Lodge have felt that our caregivers are suffering from burnout,” she says. “The patient, their struggles are well known. We see it; it’s visible. You can’t hide that. For caregivers, it’s almost like a silent battle. I’m grateful we are providing that resource so caregivers can unburden themselves and feel safe to share.”

She also stresses the significance of the community aspect of the program. “Hope Lodge is a unique place where everyone who comes here has either had an experience or knows someone who has experienced cancer,” she says. “We are a unique place where people can meet up.”

To learn more about Hope Lodge, the EMPOWER program, and how you can support it, visit cancer.org/hopelodge.