MANY
of the people looked after by Dorothy House Hospice Care
come in as Day Care patients.
The Day Care
service continues to provide care for 44 patients over four days
each week. In addition, two further groups were introduced in
November 2003. One group is for patients discharged from Day Care
so they can maintain a link with Dorothy House once a month for
six months. The other group meets fortnightly to provide support
and information for patients who do not need our full range of
clinical services.
Day Care is available to those suffering from progressive life-threatening
disease, who are referred to the unit by various health care professionals,
including district nurses, GPs, local hospitals and Dorothy House
Nurse Specialists.
People can attend the Day Care unit at any stage of their illness.
Some may come in for just a short while, until certain goals are
attained or because their disease is at an advanced stage, but
most people usually stay for about six months, visiting on a weekly
basis.
They come
with individual needs and have full access to all the health professionals
at the hospice. Day Care is supervised by registered nurses, with
help from volunteers, and sessions include all kinds of events
and activities.
The Day Care unit often comes as a surprise to those visiting
Winsley for the first time: the large and airy main room opens
out into a conservatory, with the terrace and gardens beyond to
enjoy the breathtaking views across the grounds to the Limpley
Stoke valley.
Day Care leader Alison Stevens works with her team to make sure
patients get the most out of the time they spend at the Winsley
hospice. As well as helping with medical problems, a lot of fun
is had by all, with theme days and celebrations held throughout
the year to mark any special occasion, whether it's an individual
birthday or a St Patrick's Day Irish extravaganza.