Our Care
Our philosophy is to provide care, delivered through a range of specialist services, to meet the needs of individuals and enhance their quality of life. Central to our care policy is patient choice.
At St Mary's we aim:
- to provide holistic, person centred palliative and supportive care for adults who have an advanced life limiting illness
- to help people to live with their illness, at whatever stage, by addressing their needs at that time, to improve quality of life
- to provide an environment where family and carers are supported, helping them to cope during and after their loved ones' illness
- to continue to develop services according to local need and our philosophy
- to promote continuing education for our own staff and others involved in end of life care
- to provide a happy, supportive and empowering work environment for all staff and volunteers
Briefly, St Mary's services can be summarised:
- 9 Inpatient beds at the attractively sited hospice in Ulverston
- Hospice@Home providing home-based services to many in the community who prefer to remain in familiar surroundings. We currently offer a service 8am - 8pm daily, with rapid response when needed
- Outpatient facilities for those requiring medical consultation, nursing assistance, therapy or a supportive environment, but not inpatient care
- 'HospiceLine' 24 hour telephone advisory service, available to clinicians seeking specialised advice
- a full range of complementary and creative therapies, including art psychotherapy and therapeutic gardening
- a teaching hospice - providing undergraduate and postgraduate education in palliative medicine and palliative care to medical and nursing students
- bereavement support, including specialist children's services, provided as part of our comprehensive family support activities
- Drop-in centres in Barrow, Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, providing social support to people with advanced illness, to carers and the bereaved
- BARDS (Barrow Asbestos-related Disease Support) a unique multi-disciplinary support group addressing a specific problem in the Barrow area
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is the active, holistic care of patients with advanced, progressive illness. Management of pain and other symptoms and provision of psychological, social and spiritual support is paramount. Supportive care is a term for all services that may be required to support people with a life limiting illness and also their carer at any stage in their illness.