Overview
Palliative home-based care is about the care and total well being of people who are dying. The approach is therefore patient-centred and tailored to meet the complex needs of the patient and family. Overstrand Hospice Nursing Sisters are both well qualified in this special care process and work in close cooperation with the patient’s own doctor, local hospitals and other health services.
We have a volunteer service which can help the family to cope with the social and emotional needs of the patient and also those needs of the family itself.
We have a Day Hospice facility for our patients two mornings per month. Here patients can spend time together and be spoilt by Hospice volunteers whilst allowing a break for family and primary care-givers.
When required, we also endeavour to help organise respite care at local care centres, subject to assessment and availability.
Inter Disciplinary Team (IDT)
Our Inter Disciplinary Team forms the backbone of our Patient Care programme. The IDT consists of our Nursing Staff, consultant Doctors, Counsellors, Carers and a Medical Administrator. All except the Sisters and the Administrator are volunteers.
Every week available members of the IDT meet to plan, discuss and monitor their current programme and to implement any changes necessary to improve our service. This could involve any subject from administrative issues, to the planning of the Day Hospice activities or new training courses.
This is followed by a confidential session called the ‘Ward Round’ which involves only the Patient Care Team. In this session each patient and family are discussed as if it was a hospital ward round. The patient’s care plan is discussed and reviewed with subsequent actions agreed, verified or modified. This very professional process provides maximum support for our Nursing Sisters who carry the major burden, while ensuring the best possible care for each patient.
