Forest Holme Hospice - About Us

About Us

enhancing lives Forest Holme Hospice is part of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and is supported by Forest Holme Hospice Charity

www.forestholmehospice.org.uk

Introducing Forest Holme Hospice Forest Holme supports more than 1,000 people each year throughout Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck, with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s, heart disease and respiratory illness. The hospice is part of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and is supported by Forest Holme Hospice Charity.

There is no charge for people in need of hospice care, so every year the charity needs to raise at least ÂŁ850,000 to help enhance the NHS provision at the hospice and ensure that Forest Holme is there for patients and their family and friends during the most difficult time of their lives.

The hospice’s services includes a team of specialist doctors, nurses, counsellors, therapists, volunteers and care teams. We support people in a variety of settings, such as their own home, nursing home, care home, in hospital or in the hospice itself.

Content 2. Introducing Forest Holme Hospice 3. How can we help?

4. Care at home 5. Care in hospital 6. Lymphoedema 7. Complementary Therapies

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8. Care on the ward 9. Visiting information 10. Counselling and family support 11. Bereavement support 12. Education 13. What people say about us 14. Fundraising

How can we help? 

We aim to recognise when the last months, days and hours of someone’s life are approaching

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We help them to be as comfortable and as cared for - both physically and emotionally - as they want to be throughout

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We endeavour to help them - and those around them understand and anticipate what may happen during the time that they have left

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We understand what really matters to them about this - how they want to live, what they want to achieve and how they want to die

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We support them to live well in their own way, as part of their community, focusing on what matters to them together

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We share what matters to them as appropriate, so that they are supported through times of illness in a way that feels right to them, including in the last days of their lives

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We help those close to them to feel supported throughout, including after their death

Contacting Us We offer a 24 hour telephone advice line for patients, relatives and healthcare professionals on 01202 448115. Your query will be answered by a specialist nurse from the community team or an experienced ward nurse.

The fundraising team can be contacted on 01202 670644 or fundraising@forestholmehospice.org.uk

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Care at home

Our community specialist palliative care team can support you at home, or in nursing homes or care homes.

We have seven community specialist palliative care nurses who are linked to all of the GP surgeries in Poole, Wimborne, Cranborne, Sixpenny Handley and the Isle of Purbeck. The community team offers advice and support similar to that of the Macmillan Nurses but is not connected with, and receives no funding from, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Your nurse can help you manage symptoms, such as pain, sickness, shortness of breath, constipation, tiredness or poor appetite. They can help you adjust your medication if needed and advise on other ways of helping to cope with the effects of disease.

They also offer emotional support, helping you and your family cope with the impact of illness, treatment, fears and worries and the uncertainty of living with a life-limiting condition. Your nurse can also advise on other hospice services which may be of benefit, and can arrange for you to meet a palliative care doctor if required, either at home or in the clinic at Forest Holme.

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Care in hospital Forest Holme Hospice has three hospital specialist palliative care nurses and an end-of-life care nurse who support patients in Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Alderney Hospitals.

Community specialist palliative care nurses visit the community hospitals at Wareham, Swanage and Wimborne.

The hospital palliative care team provides an outreach service to wards in Poole Hospital: hospital staff can refer to the team for advice on symptom control and emotional support. We liaise with community palliative care teams and others in the community to ensure good continuity.

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Lymphoedema

The Lymphoedema team is based at Forest Holme Hospice. The team treat cancer related lymphoedema – a condition which affects the lymphatic system; the process by which we filter and drain waste fluid from our bodies.

If this mechanism stops working, the accumulation of fluid in the tissues causes swelling known as lymphoedema. There are two types – primary, which is often hereditary – and secondary – which can be brought about by cancer treatment, surgery, trauma or infection.

Our nurses offer treatments to ease discomfort caused by the condition and so improve quality of life. They are all highly trained to provide people with the information they need to understand and manage their symptoms effectively through a range of tailored therapies and treatments using the latest equipment.

Referrals are usually via the GP, consultant, community or hospital nurse.

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Complementary Therapies Complementary therapies can help to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with cancer or other serious illnesses.

The physical benefits of complementary therapies can include easing tense muscles and reducing pain. Aromatherapy and reflexology can help to aid sleep and leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Complementary therapies on offer include Aromatherapy massage, Reflexology, Emotional Freedom Techniques, advice on yoga classes, breathing techniques and mindfulness.

Referrals are usually via a GP or nurse but self-referrals will also be considered.

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Care on the ward

Forest Holme Hospice has twelve beds and nursing care is tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences.

Everyone who is admitted to Forest Holme is under the care of one of the consultants in palliative medicine and will normally be seen by their consultant at least once a week.

The ward has a mixture of single and shared rooms, all equipped to the same specifications, including televisions. En-suite facilities are available within the five single rooms.

Families can continue to share in care if they so wish and if needed arrangements can be made for family members to stay in the relatives’ overnight accommodation, at the discretion of the ward staff.

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Visiting information Visitors are welcome at any time, although many people enjoy a sleep after lunch and we suggest that early afternoon from 1pm to 3pm is kept as a quiet time. Children of any age are welcome and pets - which have previously included a horse - may also visit.

We have a large lounge, relatives’ kitchen, relatives’ overnight room and small courtyard garden which you are very welcome to use.

Forest Holme has its own small car park, but parking is limited. We would ask you to encourage friends to park in one of the nearby pay-and-display car parks at the Dolphin Shopping Centre, so that close family members can park on site.

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Counselling Counselling and family support

The counselling service is based at Forest Holme and offers support and counselling to people under the care of the hospice or living with a diagnosis of cancer.

Their partners, children and families can also access the counselling service. Support may be needed when cancer is first diagnosed or at any stage of the illness.

The counselling service also holds regular coffee mornings for patients with a cancer diagnosis to socialise with others and to help them look at ways to manage the emotional affects of their diagnosis.

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Bereavement Support Bereavement is something that most of us will experience at some time in our lives and we all react to loss in different ways.

The grief of a bereavement may be accompanied by strong and painful feelings and it may help to find out that what you are going through is normal. Even when death comes at the end of a long illness and it is expected, you may feel numb and in a state of shock. It may be helpful to acknowledge your feelings and expressing them can be part of the healing process.

The bereavement counselling service is based at Forest Holme and provides support and counselling for individuals, couples, children, young people and families before and after bereavement. The service can be used by anyone who is affected by someone who is dying, or has died from cancer (treated by the Dorset Cancer Centre) or who has been under the care of Forest Holme Hospice.

If you would like to speak to a member of the counselling team, please telephone 01202 448096 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday to make an appointment.

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Education

We want to make sure that everyone has the care and support they need, wherever they are.

This means giving ourselves and each other the time, knowledge, confidence, freedom and support to do the right thing.

We offer a range of education, training and learning opportunities.

For more details please visit www.forestholmehospice.org.uk

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What people say about us

“Forest Holme is a special place and provides a calming, safe, and comfortable environment even at the most challenging and heartbreaking of times.”

“I couldn't have wished for better care and compassion as that given to my husband in his last few days of life.”

“Came in looking like a hound dog, went out feeling like Elvis.

Staff brilliant, can’t do enough.”

“Thank you for making this last week comfortable for my Dad. You have amazing, caring compassionate staff who looked after him so well, and my family.”

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Fundraising Although Forest Holme is an NHS hospice, we rely on charitable donations to ensure that we can continue to provide the best possible care for patients when they need us most.

Forest Holme Hospice Charity needs to raise over ÂŁ2,000 every day to help fund the life-enhancing work of Forest Holme Hospice, supporting all aspects of the hospice including; the 12 bedded inpatient ward, the purchasing of specialist equipment, the funding of educational posts and complementary therapies, as well as counselling and bereavement support to patients and their families.

The charity hosts several fundraising events and remembrance services throughout the year. If you would like to receive our charity newsletter, please email fundraising@forestholmehospice.org.uk or call 01202 670644.

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How you can make a difference

£10 A yoga session to help reduce the stress and anxiety associated with cancer and other serious illnesses.

£25 One hour of specialist nursing care to provide physical and emotional support to local people living with a life-limiting illness.

£100 Bereavement support for an entire family following the death of a loved one.

Other ways to support us 

Our volunteers help us in all areas of the charity, including providing administrative and fundraising support. If you have a few hours to spare and would like to help us please contact us via email fundraising@forestholmehospice.org.uk or call 01202 670644.

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You can donate old mobile phones, stamps, inkjet cartridges and foreign coins, which we recycle for cash.

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If you're looking to re-home any unwanted presents, we are always looking for donations of good quality gifts to use in future raffles and tombolas. Alternatively, we always welcome donations of chocolate, biscuits and wine to use as prizes at fundraising events during the year.

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You can help by simply telling us your story of your experience of the palliative care services at Forest Holme (see Care Opinion).

Even though you might not need us today, your support will enable us to be there if you, or a loved one, ever need us in the future.

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Forest Holme Hospice 5 Seldown Road, Poole, BH15 1TS www.forestholmehospice.org.uk T: 01202 448115 (hospice) / 01202 670644 (charity)