THE home care team which befriends and advises patients in their own
homes, and on respite care, are other important features of the hospice.
People go in for respite care for a couple of weeks to give their
relatives a break -- especially important in cases such as motor neurone
disease for instance, where, if a family knows that throughout the year
they are certain to get a break, they can find the courage and strength
to cope.
The role of the day unit, too, is invaluable, a special outing for
patients which also allows their carers some time to themselves.
Referrals come from the GP in almost all cases, and from hospitals.
After being collected from home by a volunteer, day patients arrive at
the hospice, its facade softened by window boxes of vibrant blooms, in
time for morning coffee and home-baked scones. Depending on their
interests, great effort is made to tailor pastimes to each individual.
The new day unit, in addition to its delightful lounge areas, also has
a room set aside for snooker, darts, and such activities.
After a pre-lunch drink, day patients have lunch and volunteers drive
them home later in the day.
The new extension at Carlton Place, formed from adjoining properties
on the east side of the original hospice, was formerly owned by the
Archdiocese of Glasgow.
In 1987 they agreed to sell the property privately to avoid the
spiralling costs of going on the open market.
''We couldn't really afford it,'' recalls Mrs McBryan, ''but we took a
mortgage over 10 years and put it on ice. Then we set up our
fund-raising Campaign 69 -- named after the address, 69 Carlton Place.
''We have developed the rest of the building at a cost of #500,000. We
needed a further #300,000 to equip it and pay for six months' running
costs. We are very labour intensive and make no apology for it.
''We have what we consider to be a very fine hospice, with excellent
facilities, including occupational and physiotherapy units. There is
even a hairdressing salon.
''It would be easy to go along the lines of plastic chairs,
lino-covered floors, and so on, but this is a beautiful Georgian terrace
and people respond to beautiful surroundings.
''We definitely see that when patients first come here, they have a
perceived notion of coming to a very different place and so do their
relatives.''
What they find is an all-
embracing true refuge, which supports patients at home as well as
within the hospice, with professional caring and kindness.
It helps those with a limited life span, and their loved ones, to come
to terms with their situation and make the most of the time that is
left. In an apparently indifferent world, the hospice is an oasis.
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