WELCOME TO THE WISDOM HOSPICE

The Wisdom Hospice was opened in 1984 and was named after Molly Wisdom who had raised money for a hospice in the Medway area even though she herself was dying of cancer. Following her example the Friends of the Wisdom Hospice were able to raise the rest of the funds to build the hospice.

The Wisdom Hospice is now run by the Palliative Care Services of Medway Primary Care Trust. The Friends of the Wisdom Hospice make an annual grant to Medway PCT of £472,085 towards the running costs of the hospice. This grant makes up about 30% of the total running costs. The Friends have also funded a recent £1.3m refurbishment and extension project.

The services offered at the Wisdom Hospice are for people with advancing disease primarily, but not exclusively, those with cancer, motor neurone disease, advancing heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and kidney disease. The aim is to provide support both for the patient with the disease and their family. The Hospice provides care for patients and their families throughout the Medway, Sittingbourne and Sheppey areas.

The care provided by the Wisdom Hospice is concerned with the whole person, and offers support, counselling and advice to family members as part of its philosophy of care.

Below are the services offered to patients by the Wisdom Hospice. All services are provided by trained multidisciplinary teams, who meet and work together on a regular basis to support patients and families.

THE WISDOM HOSPICE WARD

There are 15 beds within the ward where a multidisciplinary team are able to care for patients.

Care is provided for patients with specialist needs such as symptom control, terminal care, specific medical/nursing procedures and respite for carers, families and for patients in the final stages of life.

Patients are admitted after being assessed by either members of the Hospital Palliative Care Team, Domiciliary Team or a Hospice Doctor.

One third of all the patients admitted are able to return home after their admission.

A team nursing approach is used to deliver care. There are 2 teams, consisting of trained and untrained nurses led by a clinical sister. The Ward Manager oversees the service of the whole unit.

Overnight facilities can also be provided for relatives as required.

THE DOMICILIARY TEAM

The Domiciliary Team comprises of seven clinical specialist nurses and the Team Manager, together with the support of the consultants and other medical staff, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitian, speech & language therapist, chaplain and secretary. The team aims to provide support and advice on symptom control issues and emotional support for patients and their families who are living at home, in collaboration with their own General Practitioner and community nurse. Advice and help is available 24 hours a day. Over 250 patients at any one time are cared for in their own homes by the Domiciliary Team.

THE DAY HOSPICE

The Day Hospice offers care every day of the week from 10am to 3pm for up to 12 patients a day coming from home or the hospice itself. The aim is to provide an opportunity for therapeutic and creative activities but there is also the availability of complementary therapies such as massage and hairdressing as well as the opportunity to meet with medical, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy staff.

On Tuesdays from 10.15am to 2.30pm a Young Persons Day is available for younger people (patients between 18-50 years of age, or with school age children). This is an opportunity for younger people to meet together to take part in a variety of creative activities, developing new skills and encouraging confidence.

THE THERAPY TEAM

The Therapy Team consists of an occupational therapist, occupational therapy assistant, physiotherapist, dietitian and speech therapist.

They provide assessment and treatment for patients in the day hospice, on the ward and in their own homes. The team also provide equipment where necessary to assist patients with their activities for daily living.

HOSPITAL PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM

The Hospital Palliative Care Team are based in Medway Maritime Hospital and work alongside hospital nursing and medical staff caring for patients with life limiting disease and their families in hospitals - Medway Maritime Hospital, Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital, Sheppey Community Hospital, St Barts' Hospital and patients from Medway & Swale in the Kent Oncology Centre.

The service recognises and responds to any physical, emotional and social needs that the patient and family may have.

The majority of referrals, received from hospital staff, are for patients with a diagnosis of advanced cancer. The hospital palliative care team is also involved in the assessment of patients with other terminal illnesses as appropriate.

BEREAVEMENT SERVICES

The Bereavement Services Manager, together with the Social Work Manager and a Consultant Clinical Physchologist supports the team of volunteer bereavement counsellors providing bereavement care and counselling support to family members and friends following the death.

There is also Relatives Group which is a social group that meets once a month at the Wisdom Hospice and at Sheppey Community Hospital. This provides an opportunity for bereaved people to meet socially with others in a safe environment.

Holding On Letting Go, a grief support programme for bereaved children, is co-ordinated within the bereavement service. Therapeutic weekends are offered to children in Medway and Kent who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives. There are currently 3 weekends a year.

SOCIAL WORK AND COUNSELLING

The specialist social work team provide psychosocial support to patients and their families during the course of the illness and into bereavement. Patients and carers may be offered individual, couple or family counselling, group work, bereavement counselling and welfare advice.

We work closely with families where children or young people are facing the loss of a family member. This involves supporting parents and extended family in working directly with children in creative ways to support them during the illness and into their bereavement journey. The therapeutic work that is undertaken respects the unique culture of each family and community.

SPIRITUAL CARE

The Hospice is served by a Chaplain and Honorary Assistant Chaplain who visit the in-patient unit and day hospice each week. They are further supported by an ecumenical team that includes Roman Catholic, Free Church and Anglican Chaplains.

Chaplains are available to simply chat or to offer a listening ear to patients, visitors and families or to talk and listen at a deeper level if that is what is wanted. They are also willing to pray with people or to bring communion and/or anointing to the bedside, and between the whole team they are able to offer a 24hour 'on call' service in case of emergency.

For those of faiths other than Christian who would like to speak to someone of their own faith, we have contacts with people from some of the main faith groups in the Medway Towns so we can often assist in making contact if asked to do so.

The Chapel is situated on the right immediately inside the main entrance, opposite the reception desk. It is open 24hours a day for the use of anyone of any faith (or none) who needs a quiet space to think, pray or just to be apart for a while. On the bookshelf near the window there are books and sacred objects, eg. prayer mat beads, Hindu statues, etc. that are there to be used by anyone who would like to do so.

Holy Communion is usually celebrated each Wednesday morning at 11.30am in the hospice chapel. This is an informal ecumenical service at which all patients, families and visitors are welcome.