The Rehabilitation Team aims to assist the patient with any functional difficulties and teaches techniques to people to help them maintain their independence.
Support is provided for people both at home or in the Hospice. Outpatients will normally be seen in Shornells (our Day Care facility) but home visits can be arranged if necessary.
The help and care the patient can expect from the service includes:
- Assist the individual to obtain the best quality of life possible at whatever stage of their illness by providing them with physical, social and emotional opportunities, and a sense of control
- Offer a holistic, patient centred approach, reassessing their needs and that of their family and carers
- Provide rehabilitation
- Advise on how to reduce breathlessness and anxiety using breathing exercises and relaxation techniques
- Facilitate the safe and timely discharge of patients from our Inpatient Unit.
The Team will also:
- Provide a comprehensive assessment of the patient's needs
- Support their rehabilitation to help them carry out daily activities
- Prescribe and provide equipment
- Assess the patient's home to look at challenges that may restrict their independence
- Work alongside their family and carers to help support them while they are at home
- Provide ongoing support and advice
- On the patient's behalf liaise with, and if necessary refer them to the appropriate community agencies.
Equipment used in Rehabilitation
- Assess the needs of the individual and prescribe and provide them with the necessary equipment to help facilitate their independence which may be from something as simple as a walking aid or some adapted cutlery, to complex equipment to make sitting in a wheelchair more comfortable. The Team may recommend and arrange adaptations to the individual's home e.g. by adding stair rails, rails in the bathroom or ramps to allow wheelchair accessibility.
- Continue to work alongside the family and carers to ensure they are fully aware of your needs.
For an informal discussion on this service call 020 8320 5784.
Referrals can be made by any healthcare professional. Click here to download a referral form.
In some of our services, a range of Complementary Therapies are available. All are complementary to orthodox medicine and are not alternative therapies and are provided by qualified volunteers. They include:
- Massage to sooth sore, aching muscles and limbs, to leave you feeling relaxed
- Indian Head Massage performed over clothes and aims to promote feelings of relaxation
- Shiatsu which uses the body's energy centre and aims to relieve tension and promote relaxation and feelings of wellbeing
- Guided Visualisation, a technique to assist the imagination, to promote feelings of relaxation and a sense of wellbeing
- Reflexology which is a therapy used to promote relaxation.
- Therapeutic Touch Therapy aims to induce a state of restfulness and calmness, relaxing the mind and body.
Other complementary therapies are practiced at the Hospice but all are subject to the current volunteer therapists' specialties.