Complimentary Therapies Report 2000-2001
This has been a very busy year for complementary therapies at the hospice. We are seeing a larger percentage of patients who have previously tried and benefited from therapies prior to coming to the hospice requesting them whilst they are here. Therapies available at the hospice include Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage and we also have Healing available at patients’ request. In-patients, day care patients, outpatients, carers and staff are all offered complementary therapies and the uptake is so great that we now have eight volunteers. A big thank you to all the volunteers who so generously give their time to patients, carers and staff. We also hold regular staff update days and hand and foot massage workshops for staff, all of which have proved very popular. Complementary therapies offer a very special time for the person, where there is one to one contact in a relaxing and calming environment. Sometimes the person wants to talk, sometimes to just close their eyes and “float away”. Most feel that concerns and worries are lessened after a therapy, some notice that their swollen limbs are better or that the aching muscle that was causing them pain has eased. For some new in-patients, a soothing hand massage can help allay their fears about coming to the hospice for the first time.

Complementary therapies are now very much integrated within the hospice and some GPs are now referring patients just for therapies, which means more outpatients are being seen. We are also undertaking more home visits to patients referred by the medical staff, the hospice community nurses and district nurses.

Having spent six years at the hospice, it has been wonderful to see complementary therapies grow and in the last year we provided 2,054 treatments to patients, carers and staff. I look forward to the further development of complementary therapies in the future, with the possibility of more hours, which will mean more patients being seen, especially on an outpatient basis and in home visits. It is a privilege to be able to help patients and carers find some comfort and well being in times of such personal stress for themselves and their families. In the words of one patient,

“the massage helps all my worries and fears go away’’

Bridget Purser
Complementary Therapies Co-ordinator

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