Inpatient Unit
Patients on our Inpatient Unit are looked after by our specialist team 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Garden House Hospice Care provide care and support to inpatients with any life-limiting condition, including people with kidney and liver failure, long-term lung conditions, neurological conditions and cancer. Our high staff-to-patient ratio ensures that patients and their families and friends are able to get the dedicated support they need.
The multidisciplinary team providing care on the Inpatient Unit includes healthcare assistants, nurses, doctors, pharmacist, occupational and physiotherapists, counsellors and chaplains. This enables patients to achieve comfort, quality of life and the best care in line with their individualised wishes, addressing their physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs.
Reasons for admission
- To manage physical symptoms, for example pain, nausea, constipation or breathing difficulties
- To offer psychological support, helping to manage anxiety and distress
- To provide care in the last days of life.
The Hospice provides short-term admissions, with the average length of stay being nine days. Approximately half of our patients are discharged.
What to expect as a patient
- The highest standard of care in a relaxed, tranquil environment
- Planning your care with you to reflect your specific needs
- Support for your family, friends and carers
- Your treatment and care explained to you and, with your permission, your family, friends and carers
- We will maintain your dignity and privacy at all times
- We will work with your GP, community nurses, community specialist palliative care nurses and other healthcare professionals to ensure continuity of care.
Visiting
Visiting is open and flexible and visitors are always welcome. This does not need to be prebooked, but you will be asked to sign in on arrival. Our reception will be open and staffed Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 4.30pm, and often at weekends, with a buzzer entry system for entry at other times.
There is a large and welcoming day room on the Inpatient Unit, for use by patients and visitors, with a balcony and windows that look out over the Hospice gardens. There is also our Quiet Room, which can be used for prayer or quiet time. Our ensuite Valerian Room is an additional space where families can arrange to stay overnight while still staying close to their loved one.
We welcome children of all ages, and well behaved pets are also welcome to visit when arranged in advance with the Senior Nurse on duty. Find out more about visiting the Inpatient Unit.
Medical care
The medical care provided at the Hospice is centred on providing specialist palliative care to address symptoms and ensure patient comfort. The Hospice does not have the full range of facilities as an acute hospital. However, if appropriate, patients can be transferred to hospital. Transfers are most commonly temporary, to attend for tests, such as scans or outpatient appointments, but can be for admission to hospital. Transfers are always carefully discussed with the patient beforehand, to ensure this fits with their wishes and is appropriate for their care.
While the Hospice can provide basic life support, including use of an automatic defibrillation device, the Hospice does not have full resuscitation facilities on site. In the event of a patient having a cardiopulmonary arrest where full resuscitation is in the patient’s best interests, a 999 ambulance would be arranged for emergency transfer to the Lister Hospital.
Additional information
Referrals
Patients can only be referred to the Inpatient Unit by a GP or healthcare professional. Our professional referral form can be largely auto-completed through Ardens or SystmOne.
Palliative Care Advice Line
The nurses within our Inpatient Unit provide a 24-hour telephone helpline for patients, carers and healthcare professionals. It gives direct access to nurses with experience in palliative care who can offer advice and support or guide you to other appropriate agencies.
If medical advice is needed, our nurses can speak to our team of doctors. You do not need to be referred to our services to be able to use this advice line. The Palliative Care Advice Line provides 24-hour advice, 365 days per year on 01462 416794.
Code of confidentiality
In order to provide the most effective care, information about patients is shared between Hospice team members on a 'need to know basis'. All who work at the Hospice, including volunteers, follow a strict code of confidentiality. Information is only shared with other professionals involved in an individual's care and, with their permission, their family, friends and carers.
admissions to the Inpatient Unit
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non-cancer patients
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average length of stay
