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FAQ's
What is St. Columba's Hospice?St. Columba's Hospice, opened in 1977, is a small clinical Unit committed to a high standard of care for patients with progressive, far-advanced disease, for whom no cure is now possible. The focus of care ensures we provide the best possible quality of life for each patient, as well as supporting their families, carers and friends. What services does St. Columba's Hospice provide?We have an In-patient Unit with thirty beds, made up of four-bedded rooms, three-bedded rooms, and a small number of single rooms. We have a Community Palliative Care Service. We used to call it a 'Home Care Service' and it is staffed by six senior nurses who help their community nursing and their family doctor colleagues care for patients in their own homes. It is has a Day Hospice, which is active four days a week from 10a.m. to 3p.m. It has an Advisory Service for doctors, nurses and other professional colleagues. When is a patient admitted to St. Columba's Hospice In-patient Unit?Patients are admitted close to the end of life, when nursing round-the-clock is required. Patients are admitted to help with symptom control; when, for instance, they have a difficult pain or sickness, they can be admitted for a period of assessment and observation, ensuring that the most appropriate treatment can be found to help with their symptoms. Patients are admitted for a short period of assessment when the skills of the physiotherapist, occupational therapist or the clinical psychologist may also be called upon. Who works at St. Columba's Hospice?St. Columba's Hospice has a multidisciplinary clinical team comprising nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, an occupational therapist, a clinical pharmacist, a clinical psychologist, a social worker and a chaplain. All have the one aim of ensuring that, so far as is possible, a patient's needs are met. They are supported by a team of administrative staff and volunteers. How can I be referred to St. Columba's Hospice?Patients can be referred by their family doctor, District Nurse or hospital clinical staff. If you would wish to be referred to us, you can talk this through with your medical and nursing attendants. Is the Hospice only for adults?The Hospice services provided by St. Columba's Hospice are only for adult patients. Do I have to pay for St. Columba's Hospice services?No. Our clinical services are free of charge to patients and their families. Is St. Columba's Hospice a particularly religious place?St. Columba's Hospice was indeed founded on firm Christian principles but we aim to meet the needs of patients from all cultures, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and those with no particular religious beliefs. Does St. Columba's Hospice have any other role?The clinical staff are committed to providing the best possible care for our patients and equally committed to sharing our knowledge with our colleagues. Consequently, we have a very active education unit for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. Two important members of our staff are the lecturers in our Education Department and they are responsible for the many lectures and courses that we provide for health care professionals from far and wide. A small number of nursing and medical students, and students from allied health professions, do from time to time spend time at St. Columba's Hospice. It can be very valuable for them to speak to our patients and their families, but this would only be arranged with your permission. All our staff appreciate the importance of looking critically at our work to make sure that we are giving our patients the most appropriate care and treatment. This is done by auditing our various activities regularly and this is overseen by our Clinical Audit Facilitator. Equally important, we should always be seeking to improve our management of patients' conditions and a number of the clinical staff at the Hospice, in collaboration with colleagues, are carrying out research on our work in palliative care. Both the research and the audit activity within the Hospice are carefully supervised and reviewed at regular meetings by our Clinical Governance, Research & Audit Committee which has representatives from all clinical areas. St Columba's is an independent unit operating as a charity (Regd. No. SC003634) Content created and maintained by St
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