Patient and family support
"Our Patient and Family Support Team provides a range of tailored support for Oakhaven patients and their families, including counselling, spiritual guidance, family support, bereavement support, guidance and signposting."
Counselling support for patients and their families at Oakhaven
Coming to terms with the reality of a life limiting diagnosis can be devastating; you may feel lots of different emotions, from anger, sadness, disbelief or even guilt. These feelings are completely natural but they can affect you in different ways, you may find it hard to concentrate, remember things, motivate yourself, or impact on your thoughts and beliefs, leading you to feel isolated.
It can be good to talk through these feelings either individually or in a group setting with someone who is independent, Oakhaven's counsellors are trained to listen to and support you, during your illness and help you come to terms with your diagnosis.
How can I get counselling help?
Anyone who is or has been cared for by Oakhaven Hospice can access this service, this also includes the family of the patient. Please fill out our enquiry form to request support:
Alternatively you can download a printed form and bring it to Oakhaven, email it to counselling@oakhavenhospice.co.uk or post it to us at: Patient and Family Support, Oakhaven Hospice, Lower Pennington Lane, Lymington. SO41 8ZZ.
Spiritual support available at Oakhaven
Our chaplaincy team is here to offer spiritual and religious care - and this is available for those of any faith or none.
Sometimes questions and doubts can arise and our Chaplain Paul Hatchard and his team of volunteers are here to listen, to offer support or just be alongside.
Prayer and holy communion can be offered and we have a dedicated multifaith chapel which is a beautiful and serene place and can be used by anyone of any faith or none.
Bereavement support at Oakhaven
Losing someone you love can be one of the most devastating experiences you ever face and the range of emotions you may feel can be confusing. It can alter the way you think, the way you behave and disturb your sleep patterns. This is normal.
What is grief?
Grief is the intense sorrow someone can feel at the loss of a loved one. Everyone will suffer from grief at some stage in their lives and although there are common physical and emotional symptoms, the important thing to remember is that the way each individual deals with it and the length of time it takes to come to terms with that loss will be different.
As you express your grief through a period of mourning, you find ways to adapt to the loss so that you can learn to live with it. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you get over what has happened, but you learn to adjust your life to accommodate it.
The Patient and Family Support team offers a range of bereavement support, including counselling, coping with grief courses and bereavement cafés. There are also bereavement groups and activities available to our community with Oakhaven Wellbeing at the Coates Centre.
Other sources of help
Depending on your needs and location there are a range of organisations that can help you with face-to-face support or provide advice over the phone. Click here for a printable download.