In the Hospice
St Catherine's has capacity to provide full time care for up to 19 patients, most accommodation is in single rooms although some shared rooms are also available. All rooms have en suites and facilities for a relative to stay overnight - either in the same room or, if available, in a separate room.
St Catherine's works to help people live as fully as possible with medical conditions that can be treated but not cured. Unlike a care or nursing home, St Catherine’s does not provide long-term care within the Hospice. People receive specialised palliative care for a life limiting condition.
Our medical team, nursing staff, family support team, complementary therapists, chaplain and volunteers work together to ensure that patients’ physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional needs are met. Care is personalised to meet the specific needs of each individual and their family and our goal is to work together to ease pain and any other symptoms to offer the best possible quality of life. We are able to do many of the things hospitals do such as blood transfusions and intravenous treatments to prevent hospital admission.
Director Of Care, Jimmy Brash says “We recognise that each person, and those close to them, are individuals with their own set of values and opinions. It is important to us that our patients have as much control over their care and situation as is possible. We are committed to ensuring that each person experiences privacy, comfort, dignity, and quiet personal time that is right for them.”
Care is provided free of charge at St Catherine’s but people must be referred by their GP, hospital consultant, specialist nurse or palliative care team. Patients may remain with us as their condition progresses or go to an alternative care setting, depending on personal preferences and the recommendations of our medical team.
Day Therapy
Outpatient care is offered at St Catherine’s Hospice through our Day Therapy Unit, which is open Monday – Friday (excluding bank holidays). Here, people are offered a wide range of medical, nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy treatments along with complementary therapies such as reflexology and aromatherapy massage. The Day Therapy Unit also provides an environment where patients can access information and support to ensure that they understand their symptoms and know what to expect from their condition. This is so that they can manage their illness more effectively, make informed choices about their treatment and care to achieve the best possible quality of life.
Its all about working together - 'no decision about me without me'.
Alongside the medical treatments offered at our Day Therapy Unit and the complementary therapies designed to relax people and ease their symptoms, we also offer a wide range of diversional therapies and meditation. These activities range from arts and crafts to gardening and are designed to enhance quality of life, by helping people to focus on something other than their medical condition and, in many cases, provide skills to enhance independence.
People can also access hairdressing and beauty treatments at our Day Therapy Unit, which helps to maintain confidence, and self-respect especially where a medical condition has caused changes in physical appearance.
The Unit also provides a social environment where people can share their experiences and access peer support from others who understand what they are going through.
People can be referred to the Day Therapy Unit by their GP, district nurse, hospital consultant or specialist nurse. They are invited to attend an assessment by one of our a nurses or doctors which usually takes place on Wednesdays.
The assessment provides the opportunity to discuss symptoms and needs of the patient and carer as well as to take a look around the unit, meet the team and agree what therapies and treatments maybe of benefit. Following this, a plan of care is agreed but if attending Day Therapy isn't thought appropriate at that time, referral to other community services may be made by the Day Therapy staff.
The Day Therapy Unit is open Monday – Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Complementary & Diversional Therapies
The complementary therapies on offer at St Catherine’s range from so-called ‘holistic’ or ‘alternative therapies’ such as aromatherapy, massage and reflexology to diversional therapies like arts and crafts, gardening and baking. All of these therapies are offered in addition to medical treatments and are designed to improve people's quality of life through relaxation and creative activity that can build confidence and perhaps 'a day to look forward to'.
Our complementary therapies promote relaxation, reduce anxiety and ease symptoms such as nausea and disrupted sleep patterns. As a result, feelings of wellbeing can be improved and inner strength built up so that better coping strategies can be found. The aim is to enable positive re-adjustment to overcome the challenges that a medical condition brings.
Our complementary therapies include:
- Reiki
- Indian head massage
- Aromatherapy massage
- Reflexology
- Visualisation and relaxation
Our diversional therapies help ensure that people have worthwhile activities to bring them into contact with others and provide enjoyment while they are receiving treatment from the St Catherine’s team. Often, they also provide people with skills that can help them to cope better with their symptoms and day-to-day life at home.
Our diversional therapies include:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Cardmaking
- Glass painting
- Cooking
- Gardening
- Memory boxes/books/DVDs
- Quizes
- Creative writing
- Ceramics
- IT
- Relaxation
In addition to these therapies, we also offer hairdressing and beauty treatments which can be particularly important to people whose appearance has changed due to their condition or the medical treatments they have received. Not only does this 'pampering' help to boost people's confidence and sense of wellbeing, it also offers them a social setting in which to discuss their experiences with other patients.
Meditation
Meditation is a very ancient practice common to all cultures and beliefs as far back as records go. In our own culture meditation has been overlooked for some time in our ‘modern’ world but in recent years it has started making a comeback as people have looked at what has been called ‘alternative spirituality’. The most common examples of this for most people will be yoga, alternative therapies or even Transcendental Meditation. It is also being studied under the heading of ‘awareness/mindfulness’ by psychologists.
What is it?
Essentially meditation is a stilling of the inner person in order to gain a deeper awareness of your self and the world that we live in. It is not the same as relaxation. Relaxation is an extremely important part of life that can be obtained through meditation, massage or through a physical exercise such as swimming. The aim of meditation is to relax in order to understand or to feel more physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually together. A common term for this is, centering.
How is it done?
There are common elements to meditation from whatever tradition of belief or non belief a person subscribes to and it is these common elements that are used at St Catherine’s Hospice. These are:
- Awareness. This focuses on simple breathing techniques that allow us to be relaxed enough to become aware of our bodies and minds and how they relate to each other. Some of our patients have used this for controlling a sense of anxiety or analysing where discomfort is occurring and discussing this with medical staff.
- Guided.This is where people who are meditating are invited to create a story or event in their imagination under the guidance of a facilitator. This story or event can then be used by the person meditating to reflect on a situation in life, realise that a situation in life isn’t worth getting stressed about or resolve a problem.
- Religious/Spiritual. This relates to how a person may wish to use mediation as part of their own religious/spiritual journey. Meditation is an ancient practice that has traditionally been used for developing an awareness that life and the universe are bigger than we can possibly imagine and that there is something greater than this world. This is often called a sense of transcendence, meaning to go beyond yourself.
A person may use or try out one or all of the above methods which are only taught by a person who practices meditation.
