What is the Hospice Outreach Service?
Hospice in the Weald is remaining up to date on the current outbreak of COVID and continues to follow advice from Public Heath England and the NHS. In some instances, we are taking additional precautions to safeguard our patients, families, carers and our workforce.
As part of these additional precautions, our Hospice Outreach Service are telephoning patients to provide support and advice over the telephone, and are only visiting patients and families who require essential visits providing there are no signs and/or symptoms of COVID within the household. Essential visits are agreed for patients requiring support in respect of pain, medications and/or end of life care. This is to ensure that we follow thorough infection control measures, and focus staffing and resources at our In-Patient Ward in Pembury to provide the best possible care to patients, families and carers.
Patients or family members needing additional support or advice should contact us on 01892 820515.
Hospice Outreach Service is a team of Clinical Nurse Specialists, Staff Nurses, Hospice Paramedics and Nursing Assistants who work closely with your GP, District Nurses and other Healthcare Professionals to support you & your family and help co-ordinate palliative care at home. Your GP will continue to be primarily responsible for your care while you are at home.
We can advise on medication to help relieve physical symptoms and offer guidance and support on Advance Care Planning (which includes resuscitation decisions and preferences for your future care). We aim to minimise unnecessary hospital admissions by ensuring that plans, medications & equipment are in place before they might be needed based on individual need.
Hospice Outreach Service also offer Hospice appointments that enable patients and families to visit the hospice and be assessed by our clinical staff, with a care & treatment plan created if required. The facilities at the Hospice can then be viewed and/or used whilst patients and families are present after their appointment.
Hospice Outreach Service patients can access:
In-Patient ward
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Benefit Support
Hospice Day Service
Wellbeing Therapies
Counselling and Bereavement support
Cottage Hospice
Patients may consider a referral to Cottage Hospice in Five Ashes, for their End of Life care. Cottage Hospice enables families, however they are defined, to care for their loved ones in the last weeks or days of life.
Patients can also be referred to the In-Patient Ward for short-stay procedures, such as blood transfusions and severe symptom control that cannot be managed in the community if appropriate, as well as End of Life care admissions for their last days.
Patients, families and carers have access to 24-hour telephone support and advice, seven days a week. Telephone: 01892 820515
