Patient and Family Support Services

All members of the Specialist Palliative Care team understand how difficult living with a life limiting illness can be for the patient, carer and their family, particularly as the end of life approaches.

What is it like?
To every patient and their loved ones, this time will mean different things and raise different issues. However, some patients and families experience profound psychological distress when confronted by life-threatening illness. This phase of life has been described as "being in a strange land" and we would like to think that good psychosocial and bereavement support creates the opportunity to have an experienced guide to signpost the way.

How we can help
We offer to help the family, either as a unit or as individuals, to overcome communication difficulties, allow them to support each other and talk over any issues or outstanding problems. The overall aim is to allow patients and their families to retain some control over important decisions in their life and make the best use of the time they have left together by:

• Helping families and individuals talk openly together about the impact of illness on family life
• Supporting individuals, families and children to talk about loss and 'say goodbye'
• Liaising with other organisations and agencies
• Sharing knowledge of rights and entitlements
• Signposting to other help and services
• Acknowledging change
• Providing a safe place to talk openly and honestly about feelings
• Counselling
• Offering appropriate bereavement support to individuals, families and children

We have a specialist team which includes:

• Child and family practitioners
• Social workers
• Counsellors
• Child bereavement practitioners
• Bereavement visitors

Confidentiality
The psycho-social Service is confidential. It adheres to standards laid down in the British Association for Counsellors' Code of Practice. Should the need arise to share information relating to patient care with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, prior permission will be sought from the individual or family.