Family Supportive Communication to Cancer Patients at Dharmais Cancer Hospital Jakarta

This study aims to get an overview of supportive communication provided by families in increasing the enthusiasm for treatment and the enthusiasm for the life of cancer patients at the Dharmais cancer hospital in Jakarta. The is situated in the theory of categories of defensive and supportive behavior. A qualitative descriptive type approach was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews and observation. The participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Results show that the families of patients at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital, Jakarta, had implemented several messages in supportive communication for sufferers byothers: a) providing mutual support and not blaming the patient’s condition, b) solving problems together for the smooth running of patient treatment, c) being open to each other, especially regarding the information on patient conditions, d) listening to each other’s complaints and understanding each other’s conditions, e) having strong emotional closeness so that there is not the slightest distance, and f) accepting each other’s opinions, especially regarding the food consumed by the patient. However, there is a uniqueness in terms of solving the problem, in the informant I pair they have to work together to convince both parents and family so that the patient can continue to carry out the chemotherapy treatment recommended by the doctor, in the informant II pair, to increase appetite, the patient is given leeway in choosing the food they want to consume so that the patient’s appetite increases, and for the pair of informants III, distance and private transportation costs were a problem so they decided to use public transportation at a more affordable cost compared to renting an inn around the hospital. The factor that influences the form of supportive communication in the three pairs of informants is the affection from a family, which demands sacrifice for one another.