Support for adults
Some people may have been ill for many months, perhaps several years, before we meet them. Others will be recently diagnosed. Whatever your situation; personal, family and work adjustments are likely to be necessary. Serious illness can be very difficult for all people in the family who have to adapt to changing circumstances.
One-to-one discussion is on offer to patients and family members. We are ready to help with any issue. If we cannot ourselves give useful advice or information we will assist you in finding another source of help.
Relatives’ Meetings take place weekly and are for the families and friends of in-patients. It is an opportunity to talk with other people (husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters) from different families, who may be experiencing similar difficulties.
Discharge from St Michael’s. A Hospice Social Worker will be available to talk with patients who are being discharged home or to a nursing home. We can talk with you and your family about particular wishes and help you to identify particular needs. The Social Services and Primary Care Trust have a statutory responsibility to assess your need for care. The Hospice will make any necessary referral and our staff will work with you and the statutory agencies to organise necessary support for patient and family.
Practical assistance. We will help, or give advice and information, with such issues as housing adaptations, benefit claims, meals on wheels and rural transport. We aim to find local services, close to home (such as personal alarms, sitters, help with cleaning, ironing and gardening) that is geared to relieving the family burden.
Social Care Volunteers befriend people at home and in the Hospice, offering support and companionship to the patient and/or family. A Volunteer might act as a ‘sitter’ for a few hours, for example to allow a family member to go shopping, or keep an appointment.
The Friendship Group was started by people who had been bereaved at the Hospice. The aim of the group is simple: to offer friendship to people who have been through a similar experience. The group meets on the last Friday of each month from 2pm to 3.30pm.
They arrange outings, trips and other social events for the coming month such as a lunch, a walk, or an evening meal. For more information about the group and what they do, call George on 01432 276255 or Janet on 01432 358075. New members are always welcome.
CAMEO (Come and Meet Each Other) is an evening get together held monthly for bereaved adults of working age. It is an opportunity to meet others, who are in a similar situation, for social contact and support. Different activities take place, like wine tasting, alongside the chance for discussion and sharing.
HAND IN HAND This new group is designed to promote more effective support for the families and friends of Hospice and Macmillan patients. We hope the group will develop its own agenda and that it will stimulate friendship and mutual understanding between all participants: patients, carers, staff and volunteers. Among other things, the group will provide a regular opportunity for integrated service user feedback. Both carer and cared-for person are invited to come along together.
It is often the case that the healthcare needs of an ill person must be given priority in the family’s day to day routine. Commonly, this is both necessary and appropriate, but over time carers in such situations can become very tired, physically run-down, socially isolated or depressed. Watching someone you love become ever more poorly can be intensely disheartening. We hope this group will grow to share warmth, care and understanding with all those who are affected in this way.
The Hand in Hand group meets at St Michael’s Hospice on the second Monday of the month from 11 am – 2 pm. If you, or someone you know, are interested in learning more, please contact Sara Higginson, Specialist Social Worker, on 01432 851000 or shigginson@st-michaels-hospice.org.uk