Background
Cancer treatment can cause social isolation, negatively impacting patient and carer wellbeing. Social isolation is more common among Australian men, as they are less likely to engage with health services and demonstrate health-seeking behaviours. Conventional supportive care services provide care to those who self-identify as needing support, which is rarely the case with men. Since 2019, a Men’s Shed, established in a comprehensive cancer service in partnership with Melbourne Men’s Shed, breaks the mould, addressing this issue by providing an informal, safe and welcoming environment to connect with others dealing with similar experiences.
Methods
People with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds are at greater risk of social isolation. The Men’s Shed is building on its existing foundations with a dedicated project to improve the accessibility of the Men’s Shed for people with disability from diverse backgrounds. Four co-design workshops were completed with people with disability, CALD community members, and carers (n=27) to determine what makes community spaces feel safe, welcoming and inclusive and barriers to participation.
Impact on practice
Findings highlighted four key priority areas to increase accessibility of community spaces, like a Men’s Shed. These included the provision of accessible communication and information; establishing welcoming and inclusive pathways to participation; providing physically accessible spaces; and delivering community inclusive practices.
Discussion
We are implementing 15-20 interventions across these four priority areas, tracking the impact in real-time. We will share this data at the conference, highlighting actionable ideas for other contexts. This work paves a way forward to engage with diverse communities and provide supportive care services to cancer patients and carers in a non-traditional way.