Hospice outreach centre opens in Chirk

A brand new outreach facility has been set up in Chirk Community Hospital to enable patients and their loved ones to tap into a wealth of expertise and services within a community setting and for people to be able to speak to someone about any worries.

Kay Ryan, Outpatient Services Coordinator, says the thinking behind the new project is to make it easier for patients living in these areas to access services. She believes that it will also help de-mystify the image of a hospice only being available for end of life

care. It is open at Chirk Community Hospital on Tuesdays from10am until noon.

The Hospice, based in Wrexham helps patients lead an improved quality of life even with a life-limiting illness and Kay says many people do not know that Nightingale House helps patients to access numerous services they may not know are available to them.

They include bereavement support, art and music therapy, drop-in sessions, and complementary therapy, as well as clinical support if required.

“People’s perceptions are that think we only provide end of life care and new patients are often frightened to come to our main hospice building The majority of people don’t realise the range of services we offer. We can also signpost them to other services with the help of District Nurses, Community Palliative Care and Nurse Specialists in hospital or via their GP based on their needs at the time.

“Our services aim to meet the needs of the patients and families who attend. It may be their physical or emotional well-being that they are struggling with or it could be family or work worries.

We hope that by having an Outreach Service it will enable people who do wish to attend the Hospice to still access our support. It provides the opportunity for them talk to us and for us to be able to provide information and support that will allay their fears and help them to address their problems. They can find out more about pain management, living well and achieving their goals, having important conversations around health and well-being and how to improve sleep. Family members are often keen to talk to a skilled healthcare professional away from a formal environment such as a hospital or GP surgery.

“The most satisfying aspect of the job is being able to make a difference at a time when some people think that no-one can help them. This is possible because we work as a multidisciplinary team, with a full mix of skills and expertise, we can usually find a solution to improve a problem”