Caring for adults

at St Oswald’s Hospice

Contents Page 3 Caring for adults Page 4 Day Hospice Page 5 Lymphoedema Patient Education Programme Page 6 Complementary therapy Positive Steps Page 7 Outpatients Cognitive behavioural therapy Hypnotherapy Acupuncture Page 8 Bereavement support Carers support Page 9 Inpatient unit Page 10 Referral information Page 11 Getting here

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Caring for adults We care for adults with an advanced progressive condition, including motor neurone disease, cancer and other end stage neurological, cardiac and respiratory conditions. Within our adult service, we offer day services (including day hospice), a lymphoedema service, inpatient care, a complementary therapy service, outpatient clinics and an outreach service. Our expert team includes consultants, doctors, nurses, social workers, be-reavement support, chaplaincy, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and complementary therapists. As every patient is at the very centre of what we do, working together, we strive to address not only their physical symptoms, but their emotional and spiritual needs too. We are a registered charity and we make no charge for any of our services, ensuring hospice care is available to everyone. Find out more This booklet is designed to give you an overview of St Oswald’s adults services and provide referral information. If you would like to know more about a particular service please call 0191 285 0063 or email enquiries@stoswaldsuk.org Tours of the Hospice are available and we are also available to visit your organisation to give a presentation or Q&A session about our services and referrals, or about supporting the Hospice through fundraising, sponsorship or legacies. Please get in touch using the contact details above to arrange. You can also follow us on:

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Day Services Our Day Services offer specialist palliative care and therapeutic support to patients with advanced, progressive life-limiting illnesses where the prognosis is limited. The services we provide include: Day Hospice Day Hospice offers respite, symptom management and support during the day for patients with life-limiting conditions. Our facilities are available for up to twenty patients a day, Tuesday to Friday 10.00am to 3.00pm. Whilst at Day Hospice, patients can relax and enjoy spending time with others or take part in a range of activities (when available) such as: craft activities, visiting speakers or performers, reminiscence, creative writing, trips out e.g.. Quayside, garden centres, group sessions, such as, Fatigue management, Mindfulness, Relaxation. The team will informally monitor the patient’s condition whilst they are at Day Hospice and will report any changes or difficulties back to the patient’s key healthcare professional. Focus on Living Focus on Living is a programme of courses designed to offer patients the opportunity to benefit from a range of activities. We have several two hour courses running throughout the year including: arts and craft sessions, creative writing, mindfulness and much more. “When my Consultant first suggested referring me to St Oswald's I was quite nervous due to the stigma attached to hospices. However, when I experienced the Hospice for myself I soon realised that it wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be like. It is very peaceful, relaxing and full of laughter.”

Lymphoedema St Oswald’s Lymphoedema Service is recognised as a centre of excellence and is the largest specialist Lymphoedema service provider in the North East. Individuals living with lymphoedema, whatever the cause, can access our services, and we treat patients with both palliative and non-palliative care needs. Our service is run by experienced nurses, who are specialists in palliative care and lymphoedema management. We offer assessment and diagnosis of the underlying cause of the lymphoedema, ongoing monitoring and evaluation, implementation of individualised treatment plans, decongestive lymphoedema therapy (DLT), telephone advice, and information and education on the condition.

Outreach service We have outreach clinics in Blaydon, Morpeth and Shiremoor to enable patients with controlled or uncomplicated lymphoedema to access treatment closer to home. Patients should still be referred to St Oswald’s main site in Gosforth.

Patient Education Programme We run a Patient Education Programme in the Lymphoedema Service. The aim of the Programme is to equip patients with the knowledge and skills to be able to self-manage their condition. Each programme runs for five weeks and covers all aspects of treatment including skincare, exercise, nutrition, simple lymphatic drainage and use of compression garments.

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Complementary Therapy We offer a Complementary Therapy service, provided by qualified professionals who are fully insured. Therapies include massage, aromatherapy, Indian head massage, La Stone therapy, reflexology and Reiki. Treatments are offered alongside conventional medical care and aim to help patients feel better physically, emotionally and psychologically. Therapies are available free of charge to patients and carers. Positive Steps We hold “Positive Steps” courses six times a year to introduce people with life-limiting conditions, and their carers, to the Hospice and to highlight the services we offer. The sessions help dispel the myths surrounding hospice care and show that St Oswald’s offers more than just end of life care, as people often assume. Positive Steps is suitable for people with a life-limiting condition but who do not need Inpatient or Day Hospice services imminently. Patients are welcome to bring a friend or family member with them to the sessions. “The sessions were excellent for us. They helped us to realise that we weren't on our own and we felt we could talk openly about our feelings. They offered us reassurance that we were doing OK at this difficult time.”

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy clinic Having a life limiting condition affects different people in different ways. Many people have ongoing feelings of anxiety, low mood, anger or panic that get in the way of things they want to do. For these patients Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be helpful.

CBT is an approach that can help patients to change the way they think about themselves, their situation and the future. It is designed to help patients learn effective ways of dealing with difficulties relating to their condition, and can help when adjusting to and coping with pain and symptoms. Patients with life-limiting conditions can be referred to our CBT clinic by any member of their care team.

“The sessions open up my thoughts, which enables me to handle things a lot better and see things clearer. I look forward to my weekly visit to St Oswald’s as I know I am going to be speaking to someone who understands my situation and the way I’m feeling about life.” Hypnotherapy clinic Clinical Hypnosis can help patients feel more in control, reduce their anxiety, raise self esteem and build confidence. Our hypnotherapy clinic is held twice a week on Monday and Saturday mornings. “For me the biggest bonus was being able to use self hypnosis to cope with my MRI scan.” Acupuncture Our team of physiotherapists offer acupuncture to patients if appropriate. It is a treatment in which special needles are inserted into points just under the skin to help correct and rebalance the flow of energy in order to promote pain relief and healing.

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Support services Bereavement support We provide a range of support services for adults and children who have lost a loved one who has been cared for by St Oswald’s. This can be on a one-to-one basis or in groups. Group sessions are held at the Hospice and people have the chance to share their feelings and experiences in a warm and welcoming setting – with others who understand. A one-to-one service is available either over the telephone or in the comfort of a patient’s home. For children, we also provide special days for groups of children, ‘Ozzu

Days’. These sessions are for children and young people aged from 5 - 15

years whose parent, sibling or other loved one has received care from

St Oswald’s.

Carer support

We also provide support to carers of patients benefitting from St Oswald’s services. We want carers to feel supported from their very first visit to the Hospice and throughout each stage of their journey with us.

We aim to provide support for carers which is appropriate to their individual needs, when they need it the most.

Our carers support services include complementary therapy, drop-in sessions and counselling.

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Inpatients On admission to our Inpatient Service, many patients say ‘I wish we’d found you earlier’. We know that patients can feel scared about their illness, about their future and what a hospice is going to be like. Many think it’s just a place to die. And, while we do provide end-of-life care, we also offer so much more than that. Our 15-bedded inpatient unit is for patients needing pain and symptom control, emotional and social support, and end of life care. We strive to reassure patients; to listen to them, to understand them, to support them and to provide the very best care we can, so that they feel they are in safe, expert hands. Our multi-disciplinary team work together and strive to address not just a patient’s physical needs, but their emotional and spiritual needs too. “When my Dad arrived at St Oswald’s, he’d almost given up on life. Within 24 hours, however, something changed, he’d picked up. The care he received was phenomenal, it was so personal and it made him feel comfortable and content. We couldn’t have asked for better."

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Referrals We accept referrals from general practitioners, consultants, or other healthcare professionals in consultation with a patient’s doctor. Adult patients from Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland and Gateshead can be referred to us. What’s the referral criteria? A referral must have been discussed with the patient and their consent obtained. The referrer has clearly identified a need for specialist palliative care input including one or more of the following:

• Patients with an advanced progressive illness, who additionally have uncontrolled symptoms, including pain, regardless of stage or outcome, over and above that which can be managed by the team currently providing their care.

• Patients with an advanced progressive illness and their carers who require psychosocial support over and above that which can be provided by the team currently caring for the patient.

• Patients with an advanced progressive illness and their carers who require spiritual support over and above that which can be provided by the team currently caring for the patient.

• Patients with an advanced progressive illness requiring rehabilitation to enable them to adapt to the limitations of their condition and to maximise their quality of life.

Referrals can be made by telephone, fax or post. Telephone referrals will normally be received by the Medical Secretaries. For telephone referrals, please ring: 0191 285 0063. Download our joint hospice referral form or our Lymphoedema Service referral form from our website (www.stoswaldsuk.org) and fax back to 0191 246 9072. You can also post referrals to: St Oswald’s Hospice, Regent Avenue, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1EE.

Getting here By Car Approaching from A1 Northbound and approaching from A1 Southbound: Leave the A1 at the junction with the B1318 - signposted Gosforth, Newcastle Race Course. Continue forward on the B1318 (Great North Rd), turn right onto Salters Road, take the third turning onto Regent Road, at the end turn left onto Regent Avenue. Visitor parking is available within both our Adult service and Children and Young Adult service. On street parking is also available directly outside St Oswald’s for a maximum of two hour’s stay. By Rail Arrive at Newcastle Central Station. Go to the Metro Station (entrance on platform 1 near to ticket office) and purchase ticket to Regent Centre. Take the Airport line (Green line) to Regent Centre. By Metro Take Airport line (Green line) direct to Regent Centre. For those arriving from the Coast, change to the Airport line (Green line) at South Gosforth. By Bus/ Coach The nearest coach station is St. James Boulevard in Newcastle City Centre. Then take the Metro from Central Station or use the nearby taxi rank. Buses to Regent Centre are frequent from Haymarket Bus station. For further information, please telephone Travel Line on 0871 200 22 33.

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If you would like to know more about our work,

please visit our website:

www.stoswaldsuk.org

Find us on:

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St Oswald’s Hospice, Regent Avenue, Gosforth,

Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1EE

Telephone: 0191 285 0063

E-mail: enquiries@stoswaldsuk.org

Registered Charity No. 503386

We are a registered charity and rely on voluntary donations and legacies to enable us to care for patients and families.