Anyone living with cancer or other progressive and life threatening illnesses, which are incurable and encompass physical, emotional, social or spiritual difficulties requiring input from the palliative care team.

Anyone can have a referral made preferably through their GP, district nurse, social worker or Macmillan nurse. Following the referral, one of our day care team will visit the patient and/or family to obtain relevant details and give more information on the Hospice services that are available and the patient can decide if they would like to try it.

 

	Medical and nursing support to assess and monitor any symptoms of your illness.
	Companionship
	Complementary Therapies—massage, aromatherapy and reflexology—subject to availability of therapists.
	Craft making—card making, knitting, cross-stitch, sewing, silk scarf dyeing etc.
	Daily chapel service if desired.
	Relaxation exercises—using music or visualisation.
	Creative writing—using personal experiences and poetry.
	Social activities—quizzes, bingo, cards, dominoes etc.
	Hair and beauty treatments—there is a hairdresser available on certain days (small charge applies) and volunteers trained by the Red Cross who are able to perform arm, hand and back massages along with manicures.

Patients can be as involved in as many of the activities as they desire but will not be forced to do anything they do not wish to do. It is perfectly acceptable to have quiet times as each patient will have varying levels of energy or experience ‘off days’, and the staff in day care understand and appreciate this.

 

You should bring any current medication that needs to be taken between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m.

If the you need extra medicine i.e. pain killers that you take as and when needed, please bring these as well.  We do ask that if your doctor changes any of your medication in any way, please inform a member of the nursing team so that care is continued. The majority of patients attending day care take responsibility for their own medications, but if this is a problem, please let us know and assistance will be given. We have the facility to store medication to ensure its safe keeping. Normally all medication will be returned to the patient at the end of day care but if we need to make other arrangements please discuss this with staff. All refreshments i.e. drinks etc. and lunch are provided free of charge. Our aim is to enable each patient to have as full and as active day as their illness allows them or they desire.

We have our own Hospice Ambulances as well as a team of volunteer drivers. We are therefore normally able to provide transport to and from Day Care depending on distance involved.  We can usually also arrange transport to hospital appointments if these overlap a day care day.