Who are we?
Now that you have been referred to our services, you may feel a little apprehensive and we completely understand. We’ve been helping people in similar situations for 30 years, so we want you to know you’re in safe hands.
This overview of our services will give you a better idea about what we can offer and how it will benefit you, your family, and carers.
Our DVD also includes lots of useful information, and you can get a copy by using any of the contact details provided in this leaflet.
Tailored support for you
Once you’re in our care, one of our doctors or senior nurses will assess your needs and talk to you (and your family) about the various options for care available to you.
Where appropriate, our initial aim will be to support you in staying at home and living as full a life as possible in the comfort of familiar surroundings. As part of this approach, you may have individual appointments, take part in group sessions, attend outpatient clinics, or access other support.
In all cases, we’ll keep monitoring your needs, answering your queries, and addressing your concerns as we continue to support you.
Our services
Day services
We provide our day services at various locations, including our main site in Foxhall Road Ipswich, where it’s available between Monday and Friday.
On Mondays, we also have day care in the All Hallows Hospital, Ditchingham and in the Headway building in Gorleston.
The services on offer include:
- Medical, nursing and social care
- Spiritual, emotional and practical support
- Occupational therapy and physiotherapy
- Complementary therapies
We can provide meals and even arrange for transport if you have no other way of getting to us.
Outpatients
We provide outpatient services Monday to Friday at the hospice in Ipswich including our sites in Ditchingham and Gorleston. Occasionally, we run outpatient sessions in other clinical settings.
Usually, you need to provide your own transport to attend an outpatient clinic.
Intervention clinics
You can receive certain treatments or medical procedures, such as intravenous medication therapy, paracentesis (drainage of abdominal fluid) and blood transfusions as a day patient, without the need for admission to the Inpatient Unit.
A qualified nurse, supported by a doctor and assistants, will be there to help you.
Creating Memories group
These sessions help you turn your photos and memorabilia into creative, meaningful and lasting keepsakes for your family and friends.
Easy breathing programme
If you experience breathlessness when you exert yourself, the Easy Breathing programme is for you.
It’s particularly beneficial if you experience mild breathlessness, since you learn how to manage the symptoms at an early stage.
Skills group
Available in both Gorleston and Ditchingham, this group teaches you and your family practical skills in how to manage your symptoms more effectively.
Healthy steps and gentle moves
This is a light exercise programme set to music. You use slow, gentle movements to help you improve flexibility, increase energy and to lift your mood.
Community nursing teams
We have a team of Clinical Nurse Specialists, Healthcare Assistants and volunteers working in the community.
Our medical, emotional well-being, spiritual and therapy teams support the Community Nursing Teams who are working in your home.
Clinical nurse specialists
Our Clinical Nurse Specialists can visit you at home or in a local clinic or hospital. They’ll give you advice on how to control your symptoms and improve your quality of life and well-being.
The team can also support your family and carers, often being the first contact you have with the hospice. These specialists work closely with GPs and other community nurses and professionals.
Hospice at Home Clinical Nurse Specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week across east Suffolk. They can help when you need expert advice, such as what to do if you have difficult symptoms, and will support you if you want to stay at home, even if you become very unwell.
These nurses also offer specialist guidance via our 24-hour OneCall telephone advice line, which is free to call from a BT landline on 0800 56 70 111.
Community health care assistants
This team works alongside the Nurse Specialists in east Suffolk to offer care when you’re discharged from the hospice or hospital, or when you’re at home before admission. The service usually continues for a few weeks giving us enough time to help arrange longer-term care which other professionals will provide.
Inpatient unit
The Inpatient Unit at St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich has 18 beds, occupied by patients experiencing difficult symptoms and by those nearing the end of their lives.
Our doctors, nurses, therapists and other professionals work together to improve the quality of life for every patient, within a purpose-built environment that includes a beautiful garden.
There are also dining facilities and areas for families and children to rest and play. We support each patient’s family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.
Art therapy
Sometimes it’s impossible to express your emotions in words and this is when art therapy can come into its own. You don’t need to have any artistic ability to benefit, since art therapy lets you express your feelings, easing the burden of difficult emotions through drawing and painting.
Complementary therapy
You can benefit from our range of complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, reflexology and Reiki that we tailor to your needs.
Emotional well-being team
Coping with illness, loss and change isn’t easy for anyone.
We can help you, your family and carers to deal effectively with the emotional, social and practical aspects of living with a progressive illness.
Larch Group
You can take part in the group activities we run with the help of local schoolchildren, who volunteer to join in once a week for a month.
We find that patients and children alike find these sessions enjoyable and rewarding.
Music therapy
This kind of therapy uses music to help you express difficult emotions.
To reap the benefits, you don’t need to be an expert on an instrument; simply playing along or listening can have the desired effect.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy focuses on maintaining your independence and quality of life.
This can help in various aspects of your daily routine such as dressing and making meals as well as social activities. If you need extra equipment in your home to help you stay independent for longer, our team can provide what’s needed.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy can help maintain your movement, function and independence.
Our physiotherapists will chat with you to agree a treatment plan that meets your needs and supports your rehabilitation.
Services for children and young people
The illness or death of someone in the family can be a painful, bewildering and lonely experience for a child or young person.
We offer one-to-one support or counselling to help those affected and occasionally run group workshops where individuals discuss what’s happening to them.
If you’re a parent, we can offer advice on how to share difficult information and suggest books that can help you talk about what you’re facing together as a family.
We also help young people with a progressive illness by supporting them over a period of time as they move from children’s services to the hospice. This means they can join a group and attend events with their families at the hospice before starting to use our services.
Spiritual care
The spiritual care and support that we offer isn’t based upon any particular faith.
Our hospice chaplain provides support that’s appropriate to the needs of the patient, family member, or carer. Our team of volunteers who come from a range of spiritual backgrounds including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and inter-faith do the same.
Support for bereavement
We’re able to offer bereavement support to everyone who is affected by the death of a loved one.
Our team of experienced family support workers and bereavement volunteers can help you individually or through a bereavement group.