As mentioned elsewhere, the Hospice offers a variety of services through a multi-professional team, including doctors, nurses, social workers, counsellors, physiotherapists, chaplains and more than 300 volunteers who assist in every area of the Hospice’s work. Our services include:

Inpatient

Our inpatient unit has 20 beds and patients may be admitted for pain or symptom control, rehabilitation, respite care or terminal care. The length of stay is assessed on an individual basis, but the unit does not provide long-term care. The unit has 12 single rooms and two four bedded rooms.

Community specialist palliative care

Our team – including 10 community nurses – work with GP’s, district nurses and other professionals in caring for a patient, and their family, friends and carers, at home, offering symptom control, counselling and other advice. A member of the community nursing team is on call from 9am to 5pm everyday including weekends and nursing staff on the inpatient unit provide an out-of-hours telephone advice service.

Day care

The day centre provides a structured, but individually tailored programme of therapeutic activities aimed at enhancing quality of life. Therapies include: creative writing, art therapy, aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, chiropody and hairdressing. The centre also offers medical assessment, pain control, counselling and physiotherapy. It is open four days a week and can cater for up to 16 patients per day.

Social work

A team of qualified and experienced social workers and counsellors provides emotional and social support for patients throughout their illness and also for their families, friends and carers, whether they are at home in the community, attend day care or are an inpatient. Advice is also given on benefits and practical assistance from other agencies. This is offered through counselling and by ensuring that patients have the information, advice and practical help they require in order to live their life, as fully as possible and in the way they choose. Children adolescent and young adults may need the opportunity and time to express their feelings about the illness or death of a person special to them, enabling this is a key focus of the service.

Bereavement

This service is offered by our Bereavement counsellors, the social work team and volunteer bereavement supporters and councillors to the family and close friends of every patient who dies whilst in the care of the Hospice, during the first 14 months after the death. Individual and family support or counselling is available and bereavement discussion groups are also held, which family and friends are invited to attend at three and six months after their loss. For those with whom we have had no contact, volunteer telephone workers offer support. We also have a children’s project to help bereaved children and parents together.