Leaflets for Health Care Professionals

This leaflet aims to answer questions that you or your visitors may have about barrier nursing.

We hope to answer your concerns by concentrating on the most commonly asked questions. If you have any more questions please ask your doctor or nurse.

Breathlessness can affect different individuals in different ways.

This leaflet provides some simple information about this distressing condition. We can help your understanding of this sometimes frightening symptom and offer advice on how to adapt your breathing through practical tips, simple exercises and relaxation techniques…

All of us face an enormous challenge when someone close to us dies, or is very ill. At such times it can feel very hard to know how best to help children and young people affected by the loss.

Everyone is very shocked when someone dies suddenly. There has been no time to prepare and often no warning that the person was going to die. Shock affects adults and children physically and emotionally, and some of the effects you may notice are feeling dizzy or sick, shaky, shivery, hot and cold. After a shock we often feel very unsafe for a while, and need to take things quietly. This leaflet mentions some of the things you and your child may be feeling.

This leaflet aims to provide helpful information for people who are considering moving to a care home. It is particularly for inpatients at St Christopher's Hospice and their families, or for people being helped by St Christopher’s or Harris HospisCare home care teams.

This leaflet gives you information on Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and how St Christopher’s is working to control it.

This leaflet explains what you can expect from the St Christopher's Group community support volunteer service. We hope to answer the most commonly asked questions. If you have any more questions please ask your doctor or nurse.

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your permission or ‘consent’ to do so. This could simply mean following their suggestions, such as your GP asking to have a look at your throat and you showing your consent by opening your mouth. Sometimes they will ask you to sign a form, depending on the seriousness of what they’re proposing or whether it carries risks as well as benefits.

It does not matter so much how you show your consent: whether you sign or say you agree. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid.

This leaflet explains about cornea and tissue donation - and how the donation of a cornea or other tissue can help change lives

Every Thursday 12 noon to 1pm at St Christopher’s Hospice

Fatigue and breathlessness are common problems for people at St Christopher’s. The following information should answer any questions you may have about the course.

If you are interested in this class, please speak to your homecare nurse, day centre nurse or give your name to the Anniversary Centre Coordinator. We will then contact you.

Our other group exercise classes include:

• Circuit classes group
• Pilates mat/chair work group

This leaflet gives information about blood transfusions. We hope to answer your concerns by concentrating on the most commonly asked questions. If you have any more questions please ask your doctor or nurse.

This leaflet gives information about pain control and morphine. We hope to answer your concerns by concentrating on the most commonly asked questions. If you have any more questions please ask your doctor or nurse.

When someone dies who is important to us, it can leave an empty space in our lives and it is natural to experience strong feelings. Perhaps you feel sad that they are no longer with you, bad that you could not do enough, guilt about your relief that they no longer have to suffer illness or frailty, anxious about how your life will be changed.

There may also be practical problems for you and other people who share your loss, such as children or family members.

This leaflet aims to give healthcare professionals important information about St Christopher's - the range of services on offer, criteria for referral and what prospective patients can expect.

Every Monday 12 noon to 1pm at St Christopher’s Hospice

Pilates is one type of group exercise class we run at St Christopher’s Hospice. The following information should answer some of the questions you may have about participating and whether this type of class is suitable for you.

If you are interested in this class, please speak to your homecare nurse, day centre nurse or give your name to the Anniversary Centre Coordinator. We will then contact you.

Our other group exercise classes include:

• Circuit classes group
• Fatigue and breathlessness group

When someone is seriously ill, the whole family is affected. All the normal routines and ways of doing things have to change, and this can be very difficult for everyone.

St Christopher’s team of social workers have specialist knowledge about the sort of issues that can come up for patients and families in your situation.

They will be able to work with you and your family in a flexible way to accommodate your needs, taking account of what helps you to cope.

This leaflet explains what you can expect from the bathing and hairdressing service at St Christopher's. We hope to answer the most commonly asked questions. If you have any more questions please ask your doctor or nurse.

This leaflet aims to answer frequently asked questions about appetite and weight loss when the person you are caring for is very ill. It accompanies the one on fluids and the use of artifical hydration in advanced disease and is aimed mainly at carers. However, some patients may also find this information helpful.