Fair Havens Hospice in Southend launched a new Day Hospice during this month’s Dying Matters Awareness Week. The Day Hospice focuses on individualised care and activities which help keep patients living well and independently with their condition for longer.
Since January the hospice has introduced a number of additional services as well as changing their approach to day services. These include workshops for creative writing, floristry and art, the development of a Wellbeing Team for patients and their carers, and weekly drop in sessions to allow existing discharged patients, potential patients, carers and professionals to access support and engage with hospice services. In addition, they have also had a small refurbishment which includes the addition of two new rooms for counselling and consultations.
Head of the Community Hospice Services, Lorraine Tullett, said:
“Day Hospice has adopted a multidisciplinary team approach. This ensures we focus on all aspects of clinical and wellbeing support, identifying a patient’s needs and determining outcomes.”
“We have initiated a flexible approach to the service allowing patients the opportunity for sessional activities such as exercise, relaxation and workshops. As well supporting patients with more complex clinical needs, with a weekly attendance for the day where patients also have the benefit of specialist nursing support alongside other therapies.”
Isabel Hospice in Hertfordshire has welcomed May Pheasant as a clinical nurse to work with patients with heart failure. This new post has been introduced so the hospice can fulfil one of the key aims of its recently launched five year strategy – to care for more people with conditions other than cancer, such as lung disease, heart disease and MND.
May said:
“A hospice placement as a student nurse made a huge impact and has shaped my nursing career. When I first started as a palliative care Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) I was supported by colleagues from Isabel Hospice and briefly worked at the In-Patient Unit as a bank nurse – so I am very excited to have joined the team after 15 years as a hospital palliative care CNS at QEII and Lister Hospitals.”
“I am working to dispel the myths that a hospice is just for people who are dying and that only people with cancer can benefit from our services. I aim to increase referrals of heart failure patients to our service by GPs, cardiologists and cardiac nurse specialists, and to help improve the support we give patients by developing services such as fatigue, anxiety and breathlessness clinics.”
John Taylor Hospice in Birmingham has opened the first charity shop in its hundred year history in Erdington, a suburb of the West Midlands city. The shop was officially opened by hospice patient Cat Mackrill and nurse consultant Sarah Bache, with staff, supporters, volunteers, patients, families and local dignitaries including Erdington MP Jack Dromey and Erdington councillor Robert Alden in attendance.
Crowds of shoppers were in attendance, and to celebrate the opening hospice volunteers were out and about in the local area distributing chocolates which were donated by the Unite branch at Cadbury.
After cutting the turquoise ribbon to open the shop, 46-year-old Cat, who attends the hospice’s Living Well Centre, said:
“I live in Erdington and I love charity shops so to be asked to open the John Taylor Hospice charity shop is a real honour. The hospice has been such a great help to me. It is a very special place and the staff, volunteers and other patients have become great friends.”
She also thanked the shoppers who had crowded outside waiting for the doors to open, saying:
“Every pound you spend is helping John Taylor Hospice make every moment matter for people like me.”
The hospice plans to open more shops in and around Birmingham.
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