Nicky Forbes – Complementary Therapy Coordinator Eden Valley Hospice & Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice, Carlisle
Eden Valley and Jigsaw Hospices care for adults and children from the Cumbria and South West Scotland area with life-limiting illnesses, and that care extends to complementary therapies that work alongside conventional medicine. That care is not just for the patients and their families but our carers need care too……
We provide the highest standards of nursing, medical and therapeutic care, to sustain quality of life and dignity and to provide patients with support and relief from pain when they need it most. To the families, friends and carers of our patients we extend the same loving support, help and holistic care as such illnesses affect everyone involved.
The Hospice encourages its patients to enjoy a better quality of life, often enabling them to continue to experience aspects of their lives they may have thought had gone forever. It is a special place which is full of life, joy and warmth, not just a place where people go to die. Many patients return home after respite, or having their symptoms managed, others benefit from attending day hospice care and or our out-patients clinics.
Complementary Therapies are available to all patients and carers to provide physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual support and relief. A range of therapies including Reiki and gentle massage (HEARTS and Story Massage) are currently provided by the Complementary Therapy Coordinator to aid relaxation, reduce anxiety, relieve stress and support overall wellbeing. All therapies provided work alongside conventional medicine to deliver integrated, holistic care.
Our aim is to extend the Complementary Therapy Service offered across all units of the hospice, which involves the recruitment, support and coordination of qualified, professional complementary therapy volunteers trained in Reiki, Massage, Reflexology, Mindfulness and Aromatherapy as well as continuing to provide therapeutic care to our patients, their families and carers. In addition to one to one sessions (daytime and night time to support bed times), our Complementary Therapy Coordinator plans to introduce workshops to address specific needs (eg; sleep issues, anxiety management and coping tools). Health & Wellbeing days as well as Staff and Volunteer support clinics, run by qualified volunteers, are also being considered to ensure the staff remain robust, resilient and supported in a high emotional intensity environment.
We are keen to incorporate more complementary therapies into the Hospice as they are proven to relieve anxiety, reduce stress and alleviate symptoms such as nausea, fatigue and restlessness in patients with palliative care needs and for their families and carers.
If you would be interested in volunteering your time and skills to the hospice (the hours and options are flexible, depending on what you can offer and which area you would be keen to work in) then I would be delighted to hear from you. I am keen to recruit a team of qualified Complementary Therapists and Coaches who wish to contribute to this vision, with enthusiasm and energy. Part of this year’s aims is to evaluate the viability of such a service, so we can establish a long term robust and sustainable service. It would be wonderful if you could contribute to the establishment of such a service to offer holistic care to patients, carers, staff and volunteers and make a real difference to so many people’s lives.
For those who live outside the area, your skills as a coach, life coach or counsellor could provide a valuable service by skype or telephone too !
Please contact Nicky on 01228 810801 or email [email protected] for more details or to discuss how you can help.
Richard Bisiker Director Personal Summits Ltd.
The suggestion for a TED talk this time is from a delegate on my NLP Business Practitioner course, Chris Cookson::
