hospice brochure - St Raphael's Hospice

Hospice NewsHospice NewsDay centre extended and refurbishedThe Hospice Day Centre was recently refurbished and expanded.Pictured are staff with patients in the day centre, which isnow much lighter and brighter. It’s amazing how much extraspace and light has been created, giving day patients a greatlyimproved environment. In feedback, 80% of patients rated thechanges as “excellent”. Comments included:Bibi Shah, Sharima Jalloh, Vere Rogers, Liz Piechocki, Christine Boyle, Royston Lavender,Maria Kelly, Edgar Block, Margery HartleyImproved patientcommunicationand safetyAnew nurse call system has been put into all hospicerooms which is a much more modern, electronicsystem. It enables nurses to see where colleaguesare on the ward via a screen in the nurses room and anurse presence light outside each. Special additions to thesystem will enable staff to be alerted if frail or confusedpatients attempt to get out of bed and the system also logsa history of the calls made.These improvements were both made possible by a oneoffDepartment of Health grant.(left to right): Jack Sanday; May Dilley; ThelmaSmith; Sybil Corke; Tina Soysa (volunteer) andLeona Rawson (volunteer).“It’s much brighter and hascreated a lovely environment”“The centre seems so muchmore spacious, brightand airy”“It’s a pleasure to attendDaycare each week”“Comfortable and welcoming,and if fully occupiedwould still feel spacious”“It’s a lovely area to work in -lovely and bright”“Has made Daycare a moreusable space”“The increased area makes itsafer for patientsto move around”St Raphael’s Hospice@Home Service –Bringing Care HomeFor many years, St Raphael’s has run asuccessful Community Palliative CareTeam of nurses, who visit patients athome. But each of our highly trained specialistnurses has about 40 patients to visit at anytime. They liaise with our hospice doctors,hospitals, the patient’s own GP and DistrictNurses to ensure that each patient receives theservices they need. But what they do not havethe resources to do is spend time overnightwith patients, at the patients home to helpsupport the patient and their relatives.So we now also have a Hospice @ Homeservice at St Raphael’s.The service extends hospice care into thecommunity to support dying patients in theirown homes, if that is their wish.WARD SISTER:Pauline MorrisThis is our Ward Sister PaulineMorris. She is responsible for theresidential in-patient wardof 14 bedrooms.During each year over 350patients come to the hospice asan in-patient. Her role primarilyfocuses on the day to day runningof the Ward, ensuring that patientsreceive a high standard of nursingcare. In conjunction with the hospicePractice Development Facilitator,Pauline will continue the ongoingdevelopment of contemporary palliativecare nursing practice.Pauline is herself a shiningexample of how the hospicehelps to develop staff to theirfull potential. She returned to nursingin November 1999 after having fourchildren. She joined the hospice as aThe Hospice@Home staffemployed by St Raphael’s area team of specially trainedand motivated healthcareassistants, who will workclosely alongside existingcommunity services such asthe district nursing teams.The Hospice@Hometeam aims where possibleto provide care tailored tomeet the needs of individualpatients and their families.The team will be able toprovide important supportive care at home, aswell as helping with practical aspects such asassistance with personal care, making simplemeals and beverages, and enabling families andcare assistant and worked for a yearuntil she was able to do a ‘return tonursing course`. Following that, Paulineworked as a staff nurse on night dutyfor five years, following which sheworked days, and after several yearsexperience, became team leader, seniornurse and now junior ward sister.carers to have a rest.These improvements have been madepossible by extra support from the Suttonand Merton Primary care Trust (PCT).Over the years, there have beenmany changes in Palliative carebut the care and attention givento patients remains the same. Paulinesays “I work with some lovely people ina happy, friendly atmosphere and feelprivileged to be part of such a greatteam.”4 4 St Raphael’s Hospice welcomes your support. Find out how you can help us, tel: 020 8335 4576 www.straphaels.org.ukFind out how you can help St Raphael’s, Raphael’s. ring Ring 020 8335 4576 or visit www.straphaels.org.uk 5