Dorothy House staff work closely with the Primary Health Care team to provide the care services that are needed for patients and families affected by life threatening illness.

Welfare Benefits
There are a number of non-means tested benefits to which people with a life threatening illness may be entitled. These include Attendance Allowance (for people over the age of 65), Disability Living Allowance (for younger people) and others. Where the prognosis is not favourable, there is a fast track application process for these benefits.

Carers may also be entitled to claim certain benefits. Bereavement benefits are available to bereaved husbands or wives, where National Insurance contribution conditions are met.

Dorothy House Nurse Specialists are able to offer our patients and their families information and advice on relevant benefits.

Local Citizens Advice Bureaux offer a comprehensive advice service including welfare benefits, debt and money advice and many other areas, and may offer representation in tribunals and courts.

Local bureaux are based in:

Town	Telephone
Bath	01225 463333
Calne	01249 821116
Chippenham (North Wilts area)	0845 1203707
Devizes (Kennet area)	01380 728771
Frome	01373 465496
Keynsham	01761 418599
Midsomer Norton (NE Somerset area)	01761 418599
Shepton Mallet	01749 343010

Please note that opening hours vary from bureau to bureau, and telephones are not always staffed due to pressure of work

SWAN is an advice service serving Bath & NE Somerset, which offers welfare benefits advice and representation at tribunals. They also offer a home visiting service, which is available by referral from a health care worker.

Local offices are based in:

Town	Telephone
Radstock	01761 437176
Keynsham	0117 986 9732

Comprehensive information on benefits can be found on the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux website at www.adviceguide.org.uk.

Social Services
Social Services Adult Care Teams may be able to help with access to a range of services, including:

A home visit is generally made to assess what the particular needs are, in consultation with the patient's family.

If the patient has less than £16,000 in savings, Social Services may be able to offer appropriate services. If the patient has savings over £16,000, Social Services are able to offer advice on where help may be obtained.

Social Services will also undertake carer assessments to look at the needs of carers, such as advice, support or respite.

Social Services Adult Care Teams when phoning, ask to speak to a Duty Officer in Adult Care.

Wiltshire
Town	Telephone
Chippenham/Corsham/Calne/Box	01249 444747 (before 1.00pm)
Malmesbury	01666 826186
Devizes	01380 730055
Trowbridge	01225 773500
Bradford on Avon	01225 867795
Melksham	01225 709777
Warminster/Codford	01761 418599
Shepton Mallet	01985 218021

Somerset
Town	Telephone
Frome	01373 461162
Shepton Mallet	01373 461162

Bath & North East Somerset
Town	Telephone
Bath	01225 477000
Keynsham, Saltford, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Radstock, Peasedown	01225 477000
Royal United Hospital (BANES)	01225 428331

Domestic & Personal care
If the patient has less than £16,000 in savings and needs assistance with household management tasks or personal care, Social Services may be able to offer appropriate services.

If the patient has savings over £16,000, Social Services are able to offer advice on where help may be obtained. A list of registered and approved care agencies may be obtained by phoning your local Social Services office. These may help with tasks such as laundry, shopping, some housework and personal care.

In some areas, District Nurse teams are able to offer personal care for a limited period of time.

Aids and Adaptations
Aids and adaptations for independent living may include specialist equipment such as bath aids, wheelchairs, kitchen equipment, special chairs, stair lifts, etc. Many items are available for hire.

Assessments by an occupational therapist for aids and adaptations to the home can be arranged by the local Social Services Adult Care team. This service is not means tested but is available according to need and regardless of income or savings.

There are also a number of Disabled Living Centres, where independent advice and assessment is available and a range of equipment, aids and adaptations may be viewed and tried out. Appointments must be booked in advance and individual assessments are carried out free of charge by an Occupational Therapist. Information can also be sent out through the post.

Town	Telephone
Bath & Wiltshire Independent Living Centre	01380 871007
	website: www.ilc.org.uk
Avon Disabled Living Centre (based in Bristol)	0117 965 3651
Options Plus (Swindon area)	01793 643966

Support & Advice
Support and advice to people affected by life threatening illness is available from a number of local and national groups and organisations. These range from small local self-help groups to helplines of national organisations.

www.terminalillness.co.uk is a website which focuses on coping with a terminal illness as a sufferer,
relative or friend.

Local support groups
Up to date information about local and self-help support groups may be found at your local health centre or library, from the Royal United Hospital in Bath or from Cancerlink on 0808 808 0000. The current (2001) directory from Cancerlink lists self-help cancer support groups in Bath, Devizes, Frome and Melksham and breast cancer support groups in Bath, Chippenham and Trowbridge.

Lymphoedema support group. Quarterly support group for people affected by lymphoedema and their carers, run by Dorothy House lymphoedema service. Tel. 01225 722988.

Cancer

BACUP
Cancer information service, staffed by specialist cancer nurses. Produce many booklets about different cancers. Telephone service to discuss any issue about cancer on freecall 0800 181199. Cancer counselling service on 020 7696 9000. Cancer support service on freecall 0808 800 1234.

Excellent website: www.cancerbacup.org.uk.

Breast Cancer Care
Charity dedicated to providing free help, information and support to women with breast cancer. Freecall 0500 245 345.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care
Penny Brohn Cancer Care (formerly Bristol Cancer Help Centre) provides complementary care, The Bristol Approach, to people with cancer and their loved ones. Helpline: 0845 1232310; E-mail: helpline@pennybrohn.org Website:www.pennybrohncancercare.org

Cancerlink
Provides emotional support and information in response to telephone enquiries on all aspects of cancer. Also has a network of local support groups. Freecall 0808 808 0000.

Ovacome
A support organisation for women with ovarian cancer. Can be contacted via BACUP or Cancerlink.

Other Life Threatening Illnesses

Motor Neurone Disease Association
National organisation dedicated to the support of people with MND and those who care for them. Helpline for information, support and advice.
Tel. 08457 626262.

Website: www.mndassociation.org.

Carers

Carers National Association
Offers comprehensive information, advice and support to people caring for relatives and friends. Has branches throughout the UK, which can refer carers to local sources of help and support, including home visits and support groups. Carers Line: tel. 0808 808 7777.

Website: www.carersonline.org.uk.

Head office	020 7490 8898
West Wiltshire	01225 767732
North Wiltshire	01249 444110
Bath	01761 431389
Mendip	01373 813029
Kennet	01672 54265

Counselling

The Harbour
Free professional counselling service for people affected by life threatening illness, living in the Dorothy House area, including bereavement support. Tel. 0117 925 9348.

Website: www.the-harbour.co.uk

Off the Record
Offers counselling to young people, including bereavement support. Tel. 0800 3895551.

British Association for Counselling
Publish directories listing counselling services and will refer enquirers to an experienced local counsellor. Tel. 0870 4435252.

Positive Action on Cancer

Positive Action on Cancer is a free professional telephone and face to face counselling service for people directly or indirectly affected by any form of cancer. Based in Frome, the service covers a much wider area. For more information and appointments ring 01373 455255 or email us info@positiveactiononcancer.co.uk All of the counsellors at P.A.C. have 3 year diploma training and adhere to the code of The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Bereavement

Cruse Bereavement Care
Offers free help and support to all bereaved people, including individual and group counselling.

Bath and District 01761 417250
Bristol 0117 926 4045

There are also local groups in Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Frome, Midsomer Norton, Trowbridge and Westbury - for details contact the Bath and District office on 01761 417250.

The Compassionate Friends
A self-help group for parents whose son or daughter (of any age) has died from any cause. Personal and group support. Tel. 0117 9665202.

RD4U
An informative, interactive website aimed at children and young people dealing with issues of illness, death and bereavement. www.rd4u.org.uk.