What We Do
Our Day Therapy Centre provides a welcoming place for people with life limiting illnesses. Patients come for treatment, to receive advice, symptom management, support, and to build relationships in a warm and therapeutic environment. The service we provide enables patients to stay in their own homes but attend the Centre on a daily basis, giving some respite to their carers. Attendance is usually one day a week and we are open from 10.30a.m. to 3.30p.m. - a hot three course lunch and a simple tea are always on offer.
We are open 5 days per week. Our friendly but professional team includes a dedicated Community Nurse Specialist, palliative care Doctors, Nurses, Counsellors, the Chaplain, Creative Therapist, Occupational and Complementary Therapists, Physiotherapist, Chiropodist, Manicurist, and last but not least a Hairdresser! Together we aim to provide for all our patients' needs whether they be physical, social, spiritual or psychological.
The Day Therapy Team provides a wide variety of activities including: craft sessions, metal work, gardening projects, cookery demonstrations, wine tasting, talks on many interesting subjects, and musical events. We have an artist in residence who undertakes individual projects and group art work with patients. Trips out are also regularly included - this year we have taken patients to Penshurst Place, Tudeley church, dog racing, Scotney Castle and Mascalls School.
Referral and Assessment
Patients are usually referred by their Hospice Community Nurse Specialist or a palliative care team such as Macmillan Nurses from their local hospital, also by GP's and District Nurses.
Specialist palliative care medical needs are assessed on the first visit, by the Doctor and Nurse. The assigned Nurse will plan and evaluate patients' care continually.
Our new Day Therapy Centre extension is now complete and this has allowed us to broaden our current services and introduce new ones - it was officially opened in September 2008. The new space enables us to see more patients from our community and includes more therapy and consultation rooms including a Physiotherapy room and a Music Therapy room.
