Your care

How can we help?

If you've been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, we can help.

It's a common misunderstanding that hospices only care for people at the end of their life, rather than from the point of diagnosis. At Farleigh Hospice, we help you to live as actively as possible from the point of diagnosis to the end of your life. We also provide care and support for your family and carer(s) throughout your illness, and beyond.

Because life-limiting illnesses can affect every aspect of your life, we offer a range of services to support you and those close to you. These include:

• Someone to talk to about how you are feeling
• Information about your illness and treatments, both now and in the future
• Guidance on symptom and pain control.
• Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy to help keep you active
• Respite stays and end of life care in our Inpatient Unit

Our services are tailored to your individual needs, and aim to take into account problems that might be encountered because of your illness.

Care in the community

Many people with a life-limiting illness prefer to be cared for in their home environment. Our Community Care Team work hard to enable you to be cared for in the place of your preference.

Specialist advice and symptom control

Our Clinical Nurse Specialists and Allied Health Professionals provide specialist advice, symptom control, and care to ensure you remain comfortable and symptom free. They don't provide hands-on nursing care, but can help to arrange this with your District Nursing Team if needed.

Practical help and emotional support

Our Hospice at Home Team provide practical help and emotional support, if you wish to be cared for at home during the advanced stages of your illness. They will work alongside your District Nurse, GP, and other health and social care professionals to help improve your level of comfort and well-being and avoid unwanted hospital admissions.

Our Hospice at Home Team provide short-term care, generally for a maximum of 4 weeks. The number of visits will vary depending on your needs and the level of support you require. The team are available to provide care between 8am and 8pm, 7 days per week.

Telephone advice on symptoms and care

If you have any questions, need support or advice, or would like to speak to someone about your illness, our hospice team is available to talk via our advice line. They are able to give advice on symptoms, nursing care and other needs relating to life-limiting illness. At times it may be necessary to seek advice from other professionals, or direct you to another service such as your GP.

Any health professional who is involved with a person affected by life-limiting illness can also call the advice line, with their permission.

The advice line is available between 8am and 8pm, 7 days a week, on 01245 455478.

Please note: This is NOT an emergency service. If urgent medical attention is required, please contact your GP in the first instance. If it is outside your GP’s normal working hours, you will need to contact NHS 111.

Medical visits

Our Doctors are specialists in palliative medicine and can visit you at home to help with more complex symptoms. They will liaise with your District Nurse, GP, and other health professionals as needed.

Therapy visits

If you are unable to attend our Day and Therapy Services, our Therapy Team can visit your home environment to help maintain your mobility and independence. They can help you manage complex symptoms such as fatigue and anxiety, as well as improving your comfort and assessing your equipment needs to keep you as active as possible.

Emotional support

We are able to visit you, to sit and discuss the significant emotional impact of being diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

Inpatient care

Our Inpatient Unit provides care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our 10 rooms are homely and comfortable, with private patios next to extensive gardens. They all have televisions, freeview and a DVD player, phones and internet access, en-suites, and are wheelchair accessible. We also have a comfortable multipurpose room where you can relax with family and friends. You can have meals in your room or in our dining space, where you can also make light refreshments.

Your family, friends and carers can visit whenever they like, with your consent. We have no set visiting hours and offer them a warm welcome, including children and pets (to be supervised at all times). We have a room with en-suite facilities for visitors, which is offered on the basis of availability and need.

You can be referred to the IPU for symptom and pain control, respite stays, rehabilitation or for end of life care. While you're here you can access other services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, spiritual care, complementary therapy, social work support and emotional support depending on your needs.

For referral details, please click here or call our Advice Line on 01245 455478

Emotional Support

Being diagnosed with a life-limiting illness can have a significant emotional impact on you. It is normal to feel anxious and stressed about the uncertainty of your future and how your illness will affect you and those close to you. Our team are on hand to help you deal with the range of emotions that relate to being diagnosed with a progressive, life-limiting illness.

A Counsellor can talk things through with you and explore issues such as change and loss.

A Social Worker can help you to navigate the complex health and social care system, including access to Welfare Benefits.

Our Spiritual Care team can explore spiritual or existential concerns with you, through talking or using approaches such as mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and/or religious practices.

Stress, pain and symptoms of your illness can be relieved by complementary therapy treatments offered by our Wellbeing team such as aromatherapy, reflexology, Emotional Freedom Technique and Reiki.

Our groups and activities offer the opportunity to socialise with people in a similar situation to you, which can often help with emotional wellbeing.

If you need informal information, advice and support, our Information Service can point you in the direction of local and national services or resources to help you.

Our Bereavement Service offers bereavement support to adults and young people.