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Therapies offer time and touch which is so important to a patient as well as one-to-one contact in a relaxing environment. As well as relaxation, therapies also help with anxiety, depression, insomnia and fear. On a physical level, problems such as muscular aches and pains, oedema, poor circulation and constipation can be eased. This year we have introduced a regular Carers’ Therapy afternoon every Thursday to expand the support we offer to patients’ families and loved ones. We have also started to offer Lymphatic Drainage Massage to patients who suffer from uncomfortable swelling in their limbs following treatment for various cancers. The staff are also offered massage sessions, which are gratefully received! None of the above would be possible without the help of the volunteer therapists who offer their time and skills to the hospice. They bring with them a great variety of experience and attributes to form a strong team that can offer comfort and care to patients, carers and staff. I would like to say a big thank you to our regular volunteers: Tricia, Carolyn, Pippa, Theresa, Nikki, Ami, Margaret and Wendy. They have contributed a tremendous amount of hard work and help to bring relief to so many. This year we have given regular education sessions and workshops to staff and volunteers and we hope to open this up in the future to outside care workers, teaching about different therapies and learning how to give hand and foot massage. We also held our third Natural Therapies Day at the Hospice and it was even more successful than the last! Many more people attended to find out about different natural therapies, some of which we use at the Hospice, whilst others are available locally. I look forward to the future of complementary therapies at the Hospice and continuing to help bring some comfort and well being to our patients and in the words of a patient, “to make me feel human again.”
Bridget Purser “Thank you so much for looking after me over the stressful Easter week – for all the time and patience everyone spent in talking and listening to me – all the jobs large or small done so cheerfully.”
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