New Milton Oakhaven 2020

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Oakhaven Hospice Autumn Supplement 2020

www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk Support and friendship at the Oakhaven Day Hospice

Patients often say things like: “when I come to day hospice it’s like having a great big hug” or “it’s like putting on a pair of warm, comforting slippers”

new group can be a huge challenge to overcome. At the Day Hospice you find support, friendship and often a bit of inde- pendence. Oakhaven helps people to feel more like themselves, not the person they were before diagnosis, accepting the reality of who they are now. “It’s a reason to get up the day they come it’s the highlight to their week”. Some report a reason to live a little longer. It is their little bit of hope. Oakhaven helps the patients to feel that they can still enjoy some

of what life has to offer: the company of others – including making new friends, new activities and maybe even enjoying some good food. Mean - while others find the confidence and moti - vation to take up what they thought were past skills such as painting or writing. “What really sets nursing in the Day Hospice apart is firstly the depth of the relationship that you develop with the patients. Often you are with patients for hours a day, week in week out, often over a period of

Day Hospice is about the noise, the laughter and all the wonderful patients who fill it. The difference can be seen that the ser- vice and the staff make to our patients and to their families. Often when a patient comes to us on their first day they are anxious and unsure, unaware what they will gain from coming to us. Most, understandably, do not want to cross the doors to the Day Hospice as a patient. The courage that it must take when you are unwell and feeling low to step into and trust a

their children and their grandchildren etc. You have weekly updates on things, you can support and encourage each other and congratulate each other on things that have gone well. You can provide a listening ear and or advice when things have not gone so well. You may one minute be changing a dressing and the next be giving advice on symptom control, helping patients write goodbye letters to family members and generally prepare for their death. The amazing

thing is that usually we can turn those feelings of uncertainty, doubt and fear into something positive and often within a matter of weeks patients hospice it’s like having a great big hug” or “it’s like putting on a pair of warm, comforting slippers” one patient commented to me last week “you don’t feel like my nurse, you feel like an old friend I know you will listen and help address my concerns”.” often say things like: “when I come to day

weeks or months. During that time you get to know them very well. They share their stories with you and you get to hear all about their life, their family,

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