Month: October 2017

26 October 2017

Remembering Loved Ones With Our Bereavement Support Team

“When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure.” –Author Unknown

Christmas can be a very difficult time for those whose loved ones have died, especially if this is the first Christmas without that person. The wealth of emotion surrounding the season can be overwhelming; there are so many thoughts and memories that it can be hard to process everything, and as a result, it can be hard to face the pressures of the season especially if, emotionally, day by day is a struggle.

Weston Hospicecare’s Family Support Team is able to offer support and time to listen, if you feel this would be helpful. Mary Thomas is our most recent member to join this team, which offers emotional and spiritual support. Mary is a counsellor and manages the Bereavement Service.

“Our philosophy at Weston Hospicecare involves offering care and support for the physical, social, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of both our patients and their loved ones,” Mary says. “We endeavour to make sure that everyone who needs our support, whether that’s before or after a death, can talk to our specialist team.”

We also encourage patients to think about the way in which they want to be remembered by their loved ones, and several projects in our Day Hospice have enabled items such as memory boxes to be made.

Over the Christmas period, please feel free to come into the hospice and use our chapel. You can light a candle for a loved one, take a look at our Book of Remembrance (which is out for Light Up a Life), or just sit for a while and be still.

If you think you could benefit from the support offered by our team, and would like to meet with us, please call 01934 423 900 to let us know you are coming.

26 October 2017

Stay Well This Winter: Top Tips for Self-Care from our Complementary Therapies Coordinator

As autumn turns to winter, nights draw in and the weather becomes colder. Self-care is always important, but during the colder months, it’s worth putting extra effort in. Just a few minor additions to your daily routine can help with your overall health. Our Complementary Therapies coordinator Alison Bailey has the following tips:

• Get plenty of vitamin C to boost your immune system.

• Ensure you use a good moisturiser once or twice every day, as chapped skin can lead to skin infections.

• Herbal or fruit teas can be tasty, warming, and good for your digestion.

• Use the following oils in diluted form (1 drop in 10ml water):

Chamomile oil (or rose water) soothes skin that’s been irritated by adverse weather or too much central heating.
Eucalyptus is uplifting and invigorating; it helps to clear the mind if congestion caused by colds and sinus issues.
Tea Tree is a natural antiseptic, which makes it good for the dreaded head lice found in children’s hair during school time. Add to their usual shampoo and use as normal.
Lavender is good for general relaxation and aching limbs. It also aids sleep pattern, which can often be affected when the darker evenings approach.
Peppermint can be used for headaches caused by congestion and colds.
Remember to take care and ask for guidance if needed when using essential oils.

26 October 2017

A Spotlight on Bank Nursing: How This Flexible Nursing Career Can Benefit Weston Hospicecare

A quick chat with Alexa-Claire Legg, Bank Nurse at Weston Hospicecare.

Since 2015, Alexa-Claire has been working as a bank nurse at Weston Hospicecare, both in our Day Services Unit and In-Patient Unit at Jackson-Barstow House in Uphill.

‘Bank nurses do the same job that a registered nurse does but with added flexibility in scheduling,’ Alexa-Claire said. ‘I have the flexibility to slot nursing into my life and to be a flexible resource for the IPU and for Day Services.’

That flexibility is a highly valued trait, both for the nurse and for the hospice. Due to the nature of the work at the hospice, you never really know what the next week will hold, and having the flexibility to bring in additional members of staff helps us make sure that patients get the highly specialised, personalised support we’re proud to deliver.

Alexa-Claire shared her thoughts on being a bank nurse, which she said is a hugely rewarding career that offers its own set of highlights and challenges.

‘My favourite part of my job is being able to have a laugh with the patients about some things that family members and friends might gasp at. It’s nice to be able to ask those awkward, delving questions that need discussing but that others might not feel comfortable to ask,’ Alexa-Clare said. ‘But because we’re not in as regularly as the other nurses, we don’t always get to know the patients as well, as quickly. We do get to know them, but it just takes a little bit longer.’

Of course, working in a hospice is a job that often takes an emotional toll on staff. Alexa-Claire points out that nurses at Weston Hospicecare have a strong support network, and difficult times are greatly eased with a few laughs.

‘Nursing humour with the rest of the nurses helps, as does being able to talk over problems with the team and having Karen, our chaplain, and Helen, our doctor,’ she said. ‘I also tend to always carry the Palliative Care Handbook: A Good Practice Guide with me. It has all sorts of symptoms and non-medical things, too. Everyone in the team has a copy and we all work from it, which is nice.’

Without the support and generosity of the local community, Weston Hospicecare wouldn’t be able to provide all of our services for free. The hospice costs over £4 million to run each year, and just 20% of our funding costs are met by the NHS. Alexa-Claire supports the work of Weston Hospicecare not only by working in our Day Services and In-Patient Units but also by fundraising for us, too.

‘If you’re considering supporting Weston Hospicecare by making a donation, please give! I’m having a coffee morning, so even I fundraise, because I believe in the work we do,’ she said. ‘Your support is so important. Every donation — no matter how big or small — makes a big difference.’

Lastly, Alexa-Claire has a few words for anyone who feels they’d like to work for the hospice, perhaps even as a bank nurse: ‘Come and talk to us, and find out if it’s the sort of thing you’d like to do. We’re brilliant, so why wouldn’t you want to join us?!’

We’re always looking for more bank nurses to join our team. If you — or anyone you know — might be interested, please visit www.westonhospciecare.org.uk/careers or call 01934 423 939 for details. You can also stop by the hospice in Uphill for the In-Patient Unit’s 20th anniversary celebrations from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m., and there will be plenty of staff on hand to talk with.

13 October 2017

Hospice Care Week 2017: Focus on Fundraising

Here at Weston Hospicecare, we firmly believe that we are all hospice care, but we couldn’t do what we do without the support of the local community. Only 22% of the hospice’s running costs are funded by the NHS. The remainder comes from members of the local community, who support us by shopping in our network of shops, or by fundraising for us.

Fundraising takes on many forms, from holding one of our Care for a Cuppa events, to tackling a skydive, but each and every event that raises funds for Weston Hospicecare, enables us to continue providing palliative care to the people of Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding areas.

Throughout the year, Weston Hospicecare hold a number of fundraising events. These include our popular women’s-only Midnight Beach Walk, our annual Light up a Life appeal, and our Mendip Challenge. Always a hugely popular event, the Mendip Challenge gives participants the option to take part in a 10, 20, or 30 mile walk across the Mendips to raise money for the hospice.

We also encourage local groups or societies to hold their own events to fundraise for us. Our Care for a Cuppa packs provide you with all the information and help you need to host your own coffee morning in aid of Weston Hospicecare; all you need to provide is the cake and coffee! You could hold a bring-and-buy sale, a wine and puddings evening, or a pamper afternoon. Alternatively, your group might like to take on their own challenge, like KS Solutions, who recently climbed the three tallest peaks in Somerset.

Our extreme challenge events are always popular. If you’re looking for the ultimate thrill-seeking adventure, or just want to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, we can help you set up a sponsored skydive, a London to Paris bike ride, a place in the London Marathon, and so much more. Why not take on a Triathlon, or a Tough Mudder?

Director of Fundraising and Communications, Alison Sopp, says: “Thank you to everyone who supports us – without you, we really couldn’t do all the things we do to care for local people with a life-limiting illness. We think we’ve got something for everyone so do get in touch if you’d like to be involved with our fundraising”.

The possibilities are endless; if you fancy some peace and quiet, you could encourage your loved ones to take on a sponsored silence. Youngsters could tackle a sponsored toddle, while older kids could enjoy a gaming marathon. Here at Weston Hospicecare, we love hearing about everything our supporters are doing to raise money for us, so if you’ve got something going on, or would like more information about any of our larger events, please contact Alison, on 01934 423 928.

13 October 2017

Hospice Care Week 2017: Why Spiritual Care Matters

At Weston Hospicecare, our doctors, nurses, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, complementary therapists, chaplain and counsellor all work together to provide palliative care that covers both the physical and emotional needs of a patient, and also supports their loved ones. We believe that emotional and spiritual care is every bit as important as attending to a patient’s physical needs.

Our Chaplain and Spiritual Lead, Karen, explains more about her role: “Chaplaincy is about spiritual care. Our palliative care is concerned for the whole person, and spiritual care can be a major factor in helping to settle a person’s wellbeing.”

Many patients and their families talk to us about the ‘big questions’ that are suddenly being asked such as ‘Why me?’, ‘What happens now?’ and ‘What has my life been about?’ Our chaplaincy team aims to help you work through those questions.

“We give patients and loved ones the opportunity to express thoughts, feelings and emotions that are new and unfamiliar to them. Patients are able to discuss how they’re coping, or to ask any questions they might have. We are non-judgmental and entirely unconditional,” Karen says.

Weston Hospicecare has a chapel, a space that is neutral and accessible to all, including friends and family who might like to use the room to sit quietly, to listen to some music, to work through their emotions, or to pray. The word chapel originates from the Latin, ‘capella,’ meaning ‘to cloak.’ That sense of envelopment is tangible in our chapel. Indeed, one of our patient’s relatives described being in the space as receiving ‘a big hug.’

Our chapel contains symbols and items from different faiths and approaches to spirituality. We have a candle bowl available if you would like to light a candle, and we have a hope tree for messages and prayers. The chapel is used at certain times through the week for people to gather for reflection, an option that is available to everyone. The chapel also holds our books of remembrance, as well as our book of celebration.

We are able to offer assistance with and conducting of funerals, weddings, baptisms and other blessings. Our team can also link you with your local faith community, if you would like. A member of our chaplaincy team is available to anyone who is admitted to our In-Patient Unit. We can also offer to see you in Day Hospice, or at home, if you would rather.

For more information on our chaplaincy services, please speak to a member of our Family Support Team.

12 October 2017

Hospice Care Week 2017: Fashionable Frocks and Brilliant Books; Retail Rocks!

We currently have 19 Weston Hospicecare shops (soon to be 20), plus an online store. With the exception of our £1 stores, all our shops sell a selection of fashion, homewares, accessories, electrical goods, and bric-a-brac. You can also find furniture in many of our stores. Our stock rotates regularly; there’s always something new available so it’s well worth popping in for a look around. We sell high-quality second-hand items as well as some new products.

Our Ebay shop sells a wide variety of products too, so if you prefer shopping from the comfort of your sofa, why not take a look?

Not only can you grab a great bargain either online or in our stores, you’ll also be helping us to provide specialist palliative care to those dealing with a life-limiting illness in Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding areas, including Cheddar, Clevedon, Wedmore and Burnham-on-Sea.

Of course, our shops couldn’t run without the donations of goods we receive from the public. If you’re having a wardrobe clear-out, or investing in some new furniture and want to get rid of the old, we would gladly welcome your donations! We welcome household donations (including clothing) at any of our stores, and we also offer a furniture collection service.

You might be surprised at the type of donations we can receive, too. For example, if you have a pile of old clothes that aren’t able to be resold, we could still take them and sell them as rag. We can also sell on old games with pieces missing. Every donation, however old, or worn, really does help.

Retail Director Gemma Turner says: “Together, our shops raised £1.6 million last year. We couldn’t do this without the hard work and dedication from our amazing team of retail volunteers, and the generosity of our local communities who support us, by donating goods and shopping in our stores.”

If you are donating goods to us, please don’t forget to fill out a Gift Aid form, if applicable. If you’re a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid boosts the value of your donations and sold goods by 25%, at no extra cost to you. Ask your local shop for a Gift Aid form when you donate, or print and fill out the Gift Aid form for donated goods and hand it in along with your donations.

Donating unwanted goods to our shops enables us to continue to provide free care to those with a life-limiting illness. Needing palliative care, or having a loved one who does, is a situation that any of us could find ourselves in at any time. Knowing that there is a wide network of fundraising to keep that care in place, is invaluable. Together, we are hospice care.

11 October 2017

Hospice Care Week 2017: When Words Aren’t Enough: A Spotlight on Expressive Movement Therapy

Since starting work at Weston Hospicecare around two months ago, I’ve heard a lot about Expressive Movement Therapy, a group that is offered as part of our Day Services. Everything I’ve heard has been positive, and I was certainly curious to find out more about it, so when the opportunity came up to attend a taster session run by Sarah Woolf, Dance Movement Psychotherapist, I went along.

Sarah explained that Expressive Movement Therapy is a form of creative arts therapy that gives patients the chance to share with others and express themselves in their own way. That could be through gentle movement, the use of props, music, and even through laughter. When dealing with a life-limiting illness, often words aren’t enough to adequately express all we feel. When someone asks how you are, you can explain your general health, or maybe what treatment you’re undergoing, but how do you express the emotions you’re feeling regarding your loss of movement, maybe, or your breathlessness?

The therapy group offers a safe space to explore all of this and more. We began the session seated in a circle; the shape is equal and inclusive. The group maintains confidentiality, and you are free to participate as much or as little as you wish. We each expressed how we were feeling; in our session we did this by selecting a bead from a box that we felt best represented our thoughts, but this might also be done in other ways, using other items.

From there, Sarah led us all in a gentle warm-up to some relaxing music. Again, we were under no pressure to join in, but I found that people gradually started taking part. Sarah encouraged us to become aware of our hands; how they feel, how they’re moving. We gradually moved around the body, focusing on our breathing, our head, our feet, and so on.

Because the sessions are patient-led, each one is different according to the wishes of the group. After the warm-up, we all felt like changing the music to something a bit more ‘bouncy,’ and we selected balls as our props. The mood changed; we all became fun and playful as we threw large soft balls to one another, and there was a lot of laughter. It felt freeing, relaxing, and it was very reminiscent of my childhood.

After, as we discussed the session, I became aware of how long it’s been since I’ve played like that. I wondered aloud when it is that we, as adults, lose that sense of freedom. It was wonderful to escape, to have the ability, and the safe space, to express a range of thoughts and feelings. I can imagine how freeing and uplifting an Expressive Movement Therapy session must be when dealing with the many thoughts and feelings that having a life-limiting condition brings.

Sarah has done a case study on the role that these therapy sessions can play in palliative care, and it really highlights just how important the group is in allowing patients to express their feelings. Using creative ways, Sarah found that patients managed to express feelings relating to physical pain, breathlessness, sleeplessness, loss of mobility, depression, anxiety, frustration and much more.

In fact, Sarah’s thesis was entitled ‘This is Me Completely,’ a quote from one of the participants in the study. Sarah’s core findings were that EMT enabled people to reconnect with their ill bodies to find ways of expressing themselves as a complete, integrated person. All participants in the study appeared to feel dis-integrated as a result of their bodies letting them down, owing to their illness. EMT gave them the chance to feel a sense of completion and expression that otherwise would not have been available to them.

Weston Hospicecare is proud to offer such a unique and creative form of therapy. Anyone wishing to find out more, or who thinks they or a loved one might benefit from Expressive Movement Therapy, should speak with their Hospice Community Nurse Specialist, or contact Alison Bailey at the Wellbeing Centre on 01934 423 900.

What our patients say about Expressive Movement Therapy:

“I have chronic pain and the Dance and Movement Therapy group is a great help with both the physical pain and the more difficult emotions that come with having a terminal illness.”

“The group is such a non-judgmental and loving place to be yourself. An added bonus to all the treatment in day care. I feel grateful to be a part of it.”

“The positive part of the therapy is that it help to break down barriers helping us to share our hope and fears plus for an hour or so helps us to have fun. Thank you.”

10 October 2017

Hospice Care Week 2017: Variety is the Spice of Life- Volunteer for us!

As we continue with our Hospice Care Week blog series, we take a look at what our volunteers bring to Weston Hospicecare …

Volunteering takes on many forms within Weston Hospicecare, whether that’s volunteering in one of our shops, transporting patients to and from Day Hospice, or helping us list items to sell on eBay. Because Weston Hospicecare receives only 20% of its funding from the NHS, we rely on the local community to meet the rest of our running costs. Volunteering is just one way in which we can do this; by giving up their time for free, volunteers save Weston Hospicecare over £1 million each year, which means that more of our money can go towards helping patients.

Everyone in Weston Hospicecare is working towards a common goal: to provide the best possible palliative care for our patients. Together, we are hospice care, and we see that in our volunteers every day.

Within our retail sector, whether it’s working in our shops, helping to sort clothes in our hub, or driving one of our vans, everyone pulls together. The efficiency, friendliness, and dedication of our retail volunteers is exactly why our shops are so popular in Weston-super-Mare, Wedmore, Clevedon, Cheddar, Burnham-on-Sea, and the surrounding areas.

At Jackson-Barstow House, helpful, warm and welcoming volunteers greet patients and visitors on reception, arrange fresh flowers for floral displays, answer queries over the phone, help with administration tasks in our back offices, and so much more. We also have a team of companions and other bereavement and chaplaincy volunteers, who undergo special training to provide much-needed emotional support to patients and their loved ones.

For some, a regular volunteering role isn’t suitable, yet they’d still like to help Weston Hospicecare in some way. Our fundraising department is always in need of volunteers for a wide range of events, from marshalling a course during our Mendip Challenge to baking cakes to helping at a local coffee morning.

Volunteering doesn’t just benefit patients, loved ones and Weston Hospicecare, though. Our volunteers all gain something slightly different from the experience, such as making new friends, learning new skills, putting existing skills to good use, making a difference to people’s lives, or getting involved with the local community.

Our Volunteer and Training Manager Maria Beaton sums up what our volunteers bring to Weston Hospicecare: “Many times you will hear us say our volunteers are the lifeblood of Weston Hospicecare, and this is so true. Each department within the hospice has voluntary support – whether this is helping directly with patients and their loved ones, or within departments that make that care possible. The beauty of Weston Hospicecare is the variety of roles we can offer. There really is something for everyone. Our volunteers are extremely dedicated and passionate. They support us in whatever way they can, and their loyalty and total dedication is so clearly evident. We are extremely lucky to have such brilliant volunteers past, present and future. We are hospice care because they care, too!”

If you’d like to volunteer for Weston Hospicecare, please call into one of our shops, email us, or contact our volunteer team on 01934 423 975 for more information.

9 October 2017

Hospice Care Week 2017: An Interview with Fiona Chiplen, Weston Hospicecare’s Consultant

Hospice Care Week seeks to inform the public about hospice care throughout the UK. The theme for 2017 is “We are hospice care.” Here at Weston Hospicecare, we firmly believe that we are ALL hospice care, from the volunteers in our shops to the nurses on our In-Patient Unit. This week, we’ll be giving you a closer look at day-to-day life in our hospice, and we thought we’d start by introducing you to our new Consultant, Fiona Chiplen.

Fiona started working at Weston Hospicecare in September 2017, and as well as caring for patients in our In-Patient Unit, she also visits patients in the local community. Her job is crucial, varied, challenging and hugely rewarding. We caught up with Fiona to ask her some questions:

What does a typical day look like for you?

Fiona: I don’t know if there is such a thing as a typical day! But then I think that’s one of the great things about the job; you never know what’s going to happen. The structure of my day is that I come onto the In-Patient Unit and catch up with the team and see what’s been happening, then I catch up with the Community Nursing team and see what’s been happening there. There are meetings to go to, but the great thing about palliative care is that it’s a lot more responsive. Other areas of medicine are more structured; you do your ward round or you do your clinic, but palliative care is about being more responsive to what’s happening.

When I come in, there might be things to do on the In-Patient Unit, or I might need to make a home visit. I might have someone come to the hospice to see me, or I might go up to the hospital. So it’s very varied. Once a week I do a ward round, and we’re lucky here to be able to give people the time they need. So I spend time talking with patients, and listening to them, which is a big part of my job.

Why did you decide to become a Doctor?

Fiona: It’s such a cliché, but I just genuinely wanted to help people. People talk about the science of medicine and the art of medicine, and for me, it’s about the art of medicine. It’s about people, and it’s a massive privilege to have this insight into people’s lives. People trust you as a Doctor, they tell you things. As a Consultant, there’s always lots of other stuff to do; teaching, clinical governance and all sorts of management things that can take you away from the clinical side, but spending time with patients, relatives, and carers is the best part of the job.

What drew you to palliative care, and ultimately to Weston Hospicecare?

Fiona: When I was at University, I was interested in Oncology, and that was where I always assumed I would end up working. Then when I was a Junior Doctor, I spent a lot of time doing care of the elderly, and then I ended up doing an Oncology job. While I was doing that job, I worked very closely with a palliative care team in Glasgow, and that was when I realised that it was the palliative care side of things that I really wanted to get into. I felt that was where I belonged; spending time with people and understanding them. I think that the way we are trained means we learn to spend a lot of time focusing on symptoms, taking history, making plans and so on. As Doctors, we spend so much time in hospital that it’s easy to forget that it’s actually a very small part of people’s lives. They’ve got a whole other life that actually happened before we got involved, and that’s what appealed to me about palliative care; looking at the bigger picture and seeing the whole person. I personally find that very fulfilling. I think the measured approach suits my personality. To work in palliative care, you also need a great sense of humour, and a certain perspective on life.

As for Weston Hospicecare, I moved from Aberdeen to Somerset for family. I saw the job at Weston Hospicecare advertised and came to look around. I think there’s such a great feel to the place; since being here, it’s been such a welcoming, warm environment to come into, and I feel really privileged to be part of the team here. Everyone’s been really welcoming, and I think it says a lot about Weston Hospicecare that everyone is so happy here. Going forward, I’d like to make sure we continue meeting the needs of the community, looking after people not just with cancer, but with many other life-limiting illnesses as well.