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Day Care

Day care is a nurse led service. The staff in the unit work with you to help improve the quality of your life by providing support and specialist care. The day care team work with patients to identify and manage any physical symptoms and create opportunities for patients to discuss and share any anxieties they may have. Accessing Day Care also provides patients' families or carers some personal time safe in the knowledge that their loved one is being cared for.

The team work closely with the patients General Practitioner, District Nurse and Macmillan Nurse ensuring that there is continuity in the care received. If needed an appointment can be made for day care patients to see one of our specialist doctors whilst they are at Day Care or at another mutually convenient time. Referrals to Day Care are accepted from any health or social care professional

The day care unit has recently undergone major refurbishment to enable the hospice to accommodate a greater number of patients with more complex needs. Over 20% of day care patients are non cancer patients facing the challenges of conditions such as motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and advanced organ failure.

Transport to and from the hospice is arranged via a team of volunteers drivers who collect patients from their homes and take them back at the end of the day. The hospice has a minibus which can accommodate wheelchairs or patients can make their own way to the hospice if they wish. Refreshments and lunch are provided free of cost throughout the day.

Patients can choose how they wish to spend their day from the range of activities available:

• Hairdressing
• Complementary Therapies
• Gardening activities
• Gentle exercise group
• Trips and outings to places of interest

Day care is also able to offer the specialist services of a counsellor and a chaplain.

Your Day
We will arrange for a Katharine House volunteer to pick you up from home, to arrive at the hospice at about 10.00am. We can arrange wheelchair transport for you if needed or you might want to get to Katharine House independently.

When you arrive, you will meet your nurse, the volunteers and other patients attending Day Care. On your first visit you might like to invite a friend or relative to come with you. When you arrive we serve tea, toast and biscuits after which you choose what you want to do. For example you may wish to relax quietly in your reclining chair, join the ‘gardening group’, have a massage, join the art group or have your hair done - the choice is yours…

Your driver will arrive to take you home at 3.30 pm.

What to Bring With You
You will need to bring with you any medication that you usually take during the day, you will be responsible for taking your own medication as usual. If you have any dressings that are usually done by your District Nurse, we will do them here but you will need to bring your dressings with you. Please bring your District Nurse Notes with you so that we can let them know what we have done.

If you require assistance in taking your medication you must bring this in their original packaging.

Meals
Morning and afternooon tea are served in the lounge. An aperitif will be offered before lunch. You will be given a choice of lunchtime menus. There is no charge made for food or drinks.

Smoking
In compliance with the Health Bill 2006 Katharine House Hospice is a no smoking organisation. Day Care patients may smoke in the garden areas only.

Other Information
Hairdressing is available by appointment. 
A range of complementary therapies are also available.
Aromatherapy by appointment
Acupuncture by appointment
Massage and relaxation therapy do not require appointments to be made and are available every day.
We provide a range of activities for you to participate in:

Outings to places of interest and in good weather canal boat trips
Gardening activities
Craft activities
Gentle exercise group.

For more information about this service contact Ruth Naylor, Day Unit Sister on 01785 254645 or email care@khhospice.org.uk