Enhancing the quality of care for patients in all care settings through partnership collaboration, advice and education

In the Community

Most patients under the care of the Oakhaven team are cared for in the community and we work closely with your GP's and District Nurses.  All of the clinical team at Oakhaven are available to visit you in your home.  You will be under the care of a clinical nurse specialist often with input from other members of the team.  

You may be referred to the community team by your GP, district nurse or hospital consultant  for one of the following reasons:

Pain and symptom control advice

Psychological support

Advice about social care or benefits

Emotional support

You will be met initially by one of our clinical nurse specialists or doctors at your home. This may be a nursing home, your own home, the local community hospital or as an out patient at the hospice. They will assess your needs and refer you to other members of our team if appropriate. The clinical nurse specialist is usually your key worker and will visit you on an ongoing basis to chat generally about how your illness is affecting your life and how we may help with this.  Similarly the doctors may come and see you at home to help with difficult symptoms.

Some patients may be referred to our Day Hospice. You may be admitted to the In-patient Unit for a short period of time to have your symptoms monitored and adjusted.

You may also be admitted to the In-patient Unit for end of life care if this is your preferred place for care or our Oakhaven at Home nurses may care for you in your own home. The Oakhaven at Home team consists of a team of nurses with a variety of different skills and experience who provide hands on care to patients in their own homes. They work alongside existing services and provide a more specialist focus to their care.

The clinical nurse specialists, like all of the clinical team, are also involved in educating other health care professionals in palliative care by working alongside them in their daily working life or through lectures and study days.

Other Members of the Team might help you in the following ways:

Complementary therapy
The complementary therapy service runs outpatient sessions throughout the week for patients and carers to come in for treatments for symptom management and relaxation.  A course of six treatments is generally offered on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

Patients who are unable to travel to the hospice are seen in their homes by the complementary therapy co-ordinator where a range of treatments may be offered.

Counsellors
Our trained Oakhaven counsellors can meet with patients and their families both at home or as an out patient.  They offer the opportunity to talk through emotional difficulties and offer support.

Physiotherapy
The physiotherapy team can visit you at home if you are not well enough to get to the hospice. By discussing those things most important to you we always aim to support your independence and function by prioritising your needs and enabling you to maintain as much control as possible.

Exploring your potential and setting realistic goals we can help manage your symptoms of breathlessness and anxiety, pain and fatigue.  We may also be able to help with mobility difficulties.

We supply aids and equipment and written information and advice