I'm visiting St Mary's Hospice, Ulverston regularly at the moment after visiting at Furness General.
The two are worlds apart.
I come away from the former thanking all those that have and are now working hard in this very worthwhile venture. It is truly a wonderful place.
As you will know, they have a lot of support already but this kind of thing needs to spread as widely as possible.
There are several fundraising projects taking place.
One that caught my eye was :
Collect your points for St Mary's at Texaco
I am now a firm convert.
So what is special compared with Furness General.
Having had my hip operation there a few years back, I have some knowledge of the place. Then I was impressed but several different reports I've received are causing concern:
- Some one was waiting in Emergency for hours in considerate pain with no doctor appearing. What made it worse was that the nurses that were there were larking about and not showing concern for the patient in agony.
- Whilst a patient was close to the entrance on a ward on level 6 the people were making a lot of noise at the central reception so that he couldn't sleep
- In desperation with the delays in anyone responding to a call, my friend took himself to the toilet only to make the mistake of going into one with no handles to pull yourself up. The result was he was stuck there for an hour and 15 minutes until someone realised that he wasn't in his bed. He remarked that it was strange to be coming out of hospital worse than when he went in. His bum was extremely sore. No apologises were fothcoming - they made out that he was the one at fault.
- When I arrived I asked whether there was a procedure for cleansing my hands - I was told that there was no need - I thought this was standard superbug procedure.
- Staff were overloaded with work
- They weren't as caring and attentive as in the past
- They weren't being shown much appreciation by the public so there was an absence of goodwill in the relationship between staff and the public
- Discipline has deteriorated since the days of the fierce matron who kept people up to scratch
At the Hospice one felt a complete mind shift:
- Everyone wanted to be both unobtrusive and helpful when needed.
- A call for the loo was responded to within ten seconds
- The whole environment was attractive with 'art' which raises the spirits given a high priority.
- The whole building was well designed and used a lot of natural wood and individual bedrooms had a lovely outlook - in the case I witnessed a waterfall cascaded down within five yards of the window which my friend found was very soothing when awake at night
- I glimpsed a cat strolling outside one of the rooms, down a corridor which had restricting glass doors - some patients enjoyed the animal contact
- The rooms were designed so that a stroll round a 'quadrangle' and then outinto the garden was possible. This provided an alternative interest for those suffering from pain.
Isn't the latter as important as the first? Aren't we partially cured by our minds so that if we are feeling as good as possible, don't we fight disease much better. If we are spending our time in depressing surroundings with what appear to be uncaring people (possibly because they are working too hard) don't we take longer to get well and tie up the beds for longer.
A question I'm asking myself more and more - isn't there a place for retired people - often with time and sometimes cash on there hands - to get more involved with both the health and education service to relieve the pressure on the 'professionals'.
All civilised comments welcome. Those wishing to score negative hits need not apply!
8 comments:
wow you wouldn't think that them over on the knowhere chat forums would support something like this would you??
I use to sponsor a few lights on the hospice christmas tree every year but i had to stop once they started doing the tree at the catholic church.I think it's wrong that they moved the lighting off the tree from the hospice down to the church,not everyone is catholic
Excellent . I would use this garage anyway because the qs are shorter but to support the hospice is a bonus.
You cannot compare the hospice to a large NHS hospital, which is there for serving all people with many diseases of the body and also the mind.
The hospice serves those with terminal cancer but there are other incredibly painful diseases that cripple the body and mind, many of them 'terminal'.
The hospice needs much money as well as dedication. It is indeed a wonderful place, but what of those who do not qualify to enter its doors?
My mother, father, two sisters and a brother all suffered from cancer, so too other relations and dear friends, so I am not dismissive of the agony they (and their loved ones) can go through. But we need to see the whole picture.
It is possible for any citizen to be involved with the hospital and not just in raising money. Many volunteers must be involved already. Members of the public are invited to serve on panels etc.
The NHS caters for thousands of people and fighting rising costs and demands on its services.
New drugs come in costing thousands of pounds - who is to pay for them? Who has to make the decision what must be cut in order for some patients to have a few more months of life?
New equipment, new drugs, new procedures that could extend lives, give more mobility, reduce pain, are being introduced all the time.
In my youth, heart surgery etc etc etc which is considered routine now would have been though miraculous, New joints? Heart transplant? Babies less than eight months at birth surviving? We would not have believed it. What is more, when I was a child, there was no NHS and some people had to do without doctors.
The NHS has not been able to keep up with expectations and the fact that old people are alive to demand new joints shows how successful it has been overall!
Yes, it would be good if more people were involved to help out just as hospices are. I notice the things that are being done at the hospital and I think it good to see pictures along the walls and seats to sit on if the walk is too long. Certainly more can be done but I'm thankful for all those who already give so much of themselves to make life easier.
My son has quite recently been in FGH. Yes, he had to wait a long time in pain while waiting, but once in a ward he received kind attention from the busy nurses. It was obvious that shortage of funds hindered things at weekends, but the care he is getting to make sure all things go well, is praiseworthy.
I say again, you cannot compare a huge organisation always short of money - and always will be while new things are being developed — with a hospice, which is only there to deal with one problem for a relatively few people. Blessed though the hospice is those who benefit within its walls and within the community.
Thanks Gladys for this very thoughtful comment.
I know little about the hospice and am keen to learn.
As I read Gladys's comment I realise that I suffer from a mind set.
Because the Hospice is relatively small and focussed and local, I am more likely to donate money. With the NHS Furness General, I feel little empathy. Is this because it is too big and if it had been the cottage hospital we once had I would have felt more 'in tune'.
As soon as we start to find things we don't agree with, we excuse ourselves from involvement. I don't like the expensive drug culture we're in so I see this as a good reason not to give. In fact I go so far as paying as little tax as legitimately I can.
What would change my attitude?
Perhaps I need my sense of involvement developed more so that I want to give more money to the tax man?
The NHS does encourage public involvement on decision making - at three levels. I think there is a leaflet at the Health Centre.
You are right about size. But your willingness to pay more taxes has little to do with it really, people can make a difference. After all, money has been raised for scanners etc. And there are volunteers who give their time to bring little comforts to patients, or take them to where they need to go. These things personalise a huge organisation.
As already stated, people provide art work to brighten up the place.
I have only visited the mental health section (not been a resident there), but for all I know maybe volunteers do craft work. If not, maybe they could?
There are little gardens 'given' by different groups too. Not sure who keeps them weeded.
The hospice is an attractive place. There are plenty of people willing to help something they can see and maybe will need the services of themselves.
It is harder to give of time, money and talents to something that appears huge and impersonal.
Objecting to pills handed out like sweeties is no reason to be unappreciative of our FGH.
Do you remember the old hospital?
Compared with that, FGH is a touch of heaven! (I should know, having been a few times in both.)
There will never be enough money to satisfy the expectations of the general public. The more is provided the more is demanded.
The hospice provides excellent terminal palliative care. The FGH is concerned with keeping people alive and in better health. As I said, the two cannot, and should not, be compared.
Thanks for that Gladys.
Looks like I need a re-think and will try not to end up feeling guilty!
Post a Comment