Who can access Therapy Services?
Our Therapy Services are for adults over the age of 18 who are living with a terminal or life-limiting illness in the local community. Our palliative, rehabilitative approach aims to enable you to live your life as well as possible. We aim to help individuals; as well as your family, friends, and carers; to cope with changes associated with living with a life-limiting condition.
NB. You must be registered with a West Essex GP to access therapy-led support in our Wellbeing Hub (eg. St Clare’s outpatient clinics and/or groups).
How can Therapy Services help?
With a focus on supporting your emotional wellbeing, as well as your physical wellness, our multidisciplinary team are here to help you live life to your fullest potential. To help achieve this we provide Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy within our Inpatient Unit and via our Therapy led groups and clinics as part of the St Clare Wellbeing Hub based at our main site.
Our St Clare Hospice therapy team offer –
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is about enabling people to achieve their personal goals and aspirations by supporting their emotional, physical and social wellbeing.
Maintaining independence and living well is so valuable when faced with a life-limiting illness. This is because previously simple activities like cooking a meal, managing a garden, or having a shower can become difficult.
Our Occupational Therapists will work with individuals, their families, and their carers. Together, we identify the life roles (“occupations”) that are meaningful to you. We then look to introduce skills and strategies to manage changing abilities.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists help people affected by illness, injury or disability through: movement and exercise; manual therapy; and education and advice. Physiotherapy is about maximising your potential and independence. We aim to enable you to remain as independent as possible, for as long as possible; helping you to live well, and with dignity.
After an assessment, our Physiotherapists will address any physical difficulties that you may be experiencing as a result of your life-limiting illness. We will work with you to identify personal goals and create a treatment plan to help you to achieve them.
Examples of some physical difficulties that you may experience, which impact your day-to-day life, could include reduced mobility, muscle weakness, breathing difficulties, and pain. The individualised treatment plan we create with you may include: education and advice, received either individually or as part of a group; a home exercise programme; provision of mobility aids; provision of orthotics; or the use of TENS machines and acupuncture for non-pharmacological management of pain.
Therapy Services and our Inpatient Unit (IPU)
Our Therapy team use a rehabilitative palliative care approach to support patients who have been admitted to our Inpatient Unit to develop self-care strategies and set appropriate goals to help them to live to their full potential.
Our Therapy team can also support discharge home from the IPU by completing home access visits and the timely coordination of equipment to promote safety and dignity.
Therapy Services and our Wellbeing Hub
Our Therapy team provide therapy wellbeing assessments and groups within our Wellbeing Hub.
Breathlessness Group: By attending St Clare’s Breathlessness Group, you can learn how to manage the breathlessness you are experiencing as a result of your illness. Managing breathlessness can help to improve your mobility and function, enabling you to do more and live well – with less anxiety and more confidence.
Fatigue Management Group: Our Fatigue Management Group can help you manage this common symptom caused by COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, cancer, heart failure and neurological conditions. Learn the tools and techniques to manage your fatigue, understand how it affects your daily life, and help you to live well.
For more information about our Wellbeing Hub Groups, please click here.
NB. Our therapy groups are subject to change, so please call our First Contact Service for up-to-date information.
Wellbeing Hub Clinics
Therapy Wellbeing Assessment:
An in-depth assessment carried out with one on our Therapy team to get to know you better and understand the impact your condition has on your daily life. It is an opportunity to learn more about St Clare Hospice services, talk about the things that are important to you, set any goals and discuss the ways in which we can help you achieve them to improve your wellbeing and quality of life. We will also speak to you about external services offered by our specialist partners, which may benefit you.
Online Therapy and Exercise Class web-based resources:
Currently, we offer supportive videos around Relaxation & Mindfulness and Breathlessness. You can access these videos from your own home, at a time you choose, and at your own pace. You can access them by clicking here.
Therapy Breathlessness Services Home Support:
If you are experiencing breathlessness due to a life-limiting illness but are unable to attend our Breathlessness group, we can offer expert therapy support at home. Your eligibility for this will be determined via our First Contact Service in discussion with our St Clare clinicians. Any offer of home support will follow a telephone assessment by our Therapy team.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch with the Therapy Team. Call us on 01279 773774 Email us on nee.fcs@nhs.net.