Page 7 - Ashgate Hospicecare News 2018

Seeing the difference that the garden room and dementia friendly courtyard made
to our patients spurred us on to do even more to improve the environment and we were incredibly lucky enough to have also refurbished and opened another space in the Hospice that we can be proud of – our Family Room.
We care for over 400 patients on our ward each year and during this time, over 20,000 of their family members and friends come to visit. Family members who want to be close to their loved one will often move into the Hospice for the duration of the patient’s stay. Our Family Room is currently the only space they can make a drink, cry, sleep, have difficult conversations, play with their children and grandchildren,
Bathrooms
laugh, eat a take away, drink wine, and watch their favourite TV programme... all whilst in their pyjamas if they want to! This space is so important to the people who visit the Hospice, yet it was dated, confused and full of second- hand, mismatched furniture.
With the help and support of Designer Contracts, Howdens and John Plant MBE of GW Price, we transformed our Family Room into a homely, comfortable, modern and functional space that families want to spend time in.
All the furniture now matches, there’s a new kitchen, the walls are a warm and cosy colour; in fact, most people have said that they wished their living rooms looked just like the Family Room!
Family Room
The family room before the transformation
Peter Kelsey, Chief Executive at Designer Contracts, pictured above, said: “Designer Contracts are delighted to be able to give this support to Ashgate Hospicecare and their patients and families. Ashgate have such a caring and dedicated team of people that we just had to support them in any way that we could.”
Plans for the future
We currently have 12 individual rooms for patients on the Inpatient Unit; the rest of our beds are in three-bedded bays. Most of our patients have relatives who want to stay with their loved one, which isn’t always possible in
Last year the Star Trust Motoring Day, in aid of #ChallengeDerbyshire, of which Ashgate Hospicecare
is the main beneficiary, saw super car owners and admirers from all over the country come together
at the stunning Thornbridge Hall. The day was a huge success, raising a phenomenal £51,700 for #ChallengeDerbyshire, which enabled us to do a long overdue renovation of our two bathrooms on the Inpatient Unit.
Karen Walker, Ward Manager, said, “Sometimes taking a bath is the only luxury our patients can still enjoy as eating and drinking can become difficult. It used to be such a clinical space, so we feel really proud now to take our patients to somewhere they can relax and enjoy a bath.”
One of the bathrooms before and after the transformation
the bays, and this can be distressing. This is why we plan to change our three-bedded bays into nine individual rooms with the option to open bifolding doors if a patient wishes to spend time with the patient in the next room, giving patients more privacy and dignity when they need it.
Michael, who stayed in a bed in Bay 3 at the Hospice for 17 weeks, said, “The care here is amazing, and nothing it too much trouble. There is a problem with the lack space though, where I am if any of us have any visitors it’s very tight and you can’t talk privately.”
If you or your company would like
to find out more about Ashgate Hospicecare and how your support could make a difference to the lives of local people, please get in touch with Alison Ward-Foster on:
Day Hospice Shed
One of the ways we have provided a relaxing space for patients is the installation of a working shed, which is used to engage with patients in a new way, will create a shelter and focal point outside for patients and bring a sense of home to the Hospice.
Without the support of Bembridges, Paul Barrett, Walton Landscapes, Tesco Bags of Help, Hall Plant Hire, Digger & Ian Gregory, Craig Foster, Markovitz, Valley Reclamation, Sika and Everbuild, this project would not have been possible. This new initiative will benefit the Hospice for years to come and engage with patients in a way which hasn’t been explored before.
Sarah Kerry, Day Hospice Sister, said “Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this project and got it to where it is today. Initiatives like this really do make a huge difference to patients at the Hospice. We can sometimes struggle to engage our male patients in the activities that we have at the Day Hospice so having a shed to potter about in and to do their gardening jobs just like they would do at home is simply amazing.”
T: 01246 568801 or email E: alison.ward-foster@ ashgatehospicecare.org.uk
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