The Bedded Unit is a tranquil and supportive environment, offering a person centred approach to care. Many people who come to stay on the Bedded unit go on to return home and continue their care with the support of the hospice and other healthcare professionals.
From our Bedded Unit, our specialist medical team can offer round-the-clock care and support, in the comfort of a welcoming and supportive environment. From our 7 private bedrooms, we can provide specialised medical treatment and support for people who have a life-limiting illness. Unlike a clinical environment that many people expect, the Bedded Unit is a modern and comfortable place, where friends and family are welcome to visit. We have facilties and space for all the family, including young children.
It is a common misconception that people only come to the hospice to spend their final days with us. Many of the people we look after on the Bedded Unit visit us for help with their symptoms and then they return home to continue their care with the support of our other services, including our hospice nurses.
People are referred to our Bedded Unit for a number of different reasons. These may include:
- Control of symptoms, for example pain or nausea/sickness
- Rehabilitation following treatment
- Care in the last days of life.
As with all of our clinical teams, the Bedded Unit clinical team work closely with other allied healthcare professionals to ensure consistency and integration of care, for the best possible overall care for our patients. The Bedded Unit team, led by the Consultant in Palliative Medicine, includes medical officers, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a team of experienced nurses and healthcare assistants. Integral to all that we do, it is always our intention to respond sensitively to the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of our patients, their families and friends.
Service description
Short admissions
Short admissions to the Bedded Unit ensure patients receive care, treatment and support when they most need it and when their symptoms may be too complex and difficult to control in other care environments. Most patients will then choose to resume or start their care with our hospice nurses who work in the community, visiting people at home.
On-going support and discharge planning
Our patients never return home without planning for them to comfortably do so. Our team help to organise a care package for patients and their families, including carer support to enable patients to return home or to transfer to an alternative place of care, ensuring they continue to be supported.
Outpatient Consultation and Outpatient Treatments
Following a referral to North Devon Hospice, patients can receive outpatient consultations and treatments. Treatments are provided in the comfortable surroundings of the Bedded Unit and can include blood transfusions and drug treatments. The Consultant, in agreement with the primary care team, provides domiciliary visits to advise on complex symptom management in a patient’s home. Many people also visit us for outpatient appointments, and treatments for the management of complex symptoms before returning home.
End-of-life care
For those people who stay on the Bedded Unit in the latter stages of their illness, the 24 hour specialist medical care supports each person to the end of their lives. When patients pass away at the hospice, we hope the warm and peaceful environment has enabled them and their families to say their goodbyes in a way that is meaningful and as positive as possible.
How to be referred
To be referred to any of our services please ask your GP or hospital Doctor for a referral. There may come a point in your journey where one of the healthcare professionals involved in your care will advise you and your family that a stay on the Bedded Unit may help to support you.
Service location
The Bedded Unit is based at our main site, Deer Park, on the outskirts of Newport in Barnstaple. The hospice is set in beautiful grounds with stunning scenery of the gardens and the surrounding hills and estuary; all of which can be appreciated from the windows or balconies of all our patient rooms.
