Work will improve patient care and provide a homely environment for visiting families
We are delighted to announce that, thanks to the support of grant funding and your generous donations, the hospice's Bedded Unit is undergoing a major refurbishment to further improve patient care.
The Bedded Unit opened in 2005 and has been a vital resource to countless patients and families who have been able to receive 24-hour care when symptoms become severe. It is exciting to begin the first major upgrade to the facility in 17 years, which will provide the very best environment for those affected by life-limiting illnesses like cancer.
What are the improvements?
Each of the seven patient bedrooms will be completely transformed. The aim is to create a home-from-home, so people can feel as comfortable as possible and not as though they are in a clinical environment.
The en-suite bathrooms will also be adapted to be modern, comfortable and stylish, while making them practical for patients to use.
The layout of the unit will also alter to give the nursing staff the space and storage they need in order to provide the very best care.
What difference will this make?
Every single element of this exciting refurbishment has been designed with patients and families in mind. The biggest benefit will be creating a calming and comfortable environment, which is as close to 'home' as possible. This will make an enormous difference to those who spend time on the unit, allowing them to feel like a person and not just a 'patient'.
But even the small details will make life better for those being cared for on the Bedded Unit. For example, the lighting has been designed to be dimmable, and to change colour, depending on a patient's needs. Bedside tables can be located on either side of the bed, depending on whether a patient is right or left handed. Hoists will be installed in every room, so that the highest level of care can be provided, but they will be concealed so as to not remind people that they are in a clinical environment.
Huge attention to detail has gone into the planning, with feedback and consultation with our patients and families at the heart of it.
Why make these improvements now?
Our final days are as important as our first. Everyone deserves the best possible care when their symptoms are severe or they are facing the end of their life. The hospice's Bedded Unit has not seen an upgrade in facilities in 17 years, so these improvements are overdue. It will help create a care environment fit for the future.
We are also seeing patients with more and more complex care needs, so the improvements will allow us to provide the care needed in all seven of our bedrooms (which is not currently possible).
How long will the works take?
The refurbishment will take around 10 weeks. During this time, the Bedded Unit will need to be closed, from 4th July until mid-September 2022. All efforts have been made to make sure that the work can be completed in the shortest period of time possible.
What happens when the Bedded Unit is closed?
Planning has been underway for this refurbishment for many months. Bedded Unit nursing staff will be deployed with our community care teams, to make sure that patients can receive extra support at home. This time of year has also been carefully chosen, as referrals to our Bedded Unit tend to be much lower during the summer.
This is only the second time in the Bedded Unit's 17-year history that it has closed, whereas most hospice wards close each year for minor works. It is not a decision that has been taken lightly, but it is absolutely essential to continue providing the best possible care in the future.
How is the work being funded?
The cost of the work is covered by grant funding and donations from the community which have been set aside for precisely this purpose. It has been an ambition to undertake this upgrade for several years, so we have been 'saving up' and are delighted to be able to make these improvements now. Thanks to everyone in the community who has supported the hospice in any way, because it is your generosity which is making this possible and will make life better for local people who are cared for on the Bedded Unit.
If anyone has any questions about this improvement to our care, please do get in contact on 01271 344248.
