How we’re supporting patients and families at Hayward House

As part of our Hayward House Appeal, Nottingham Hospitals Charity funds a variety of roles to support patients and their families at Hayward House palliative care centre. 

As well as raising money for transformational projects like improved accessibility to the Hayward House garden, the appeal also funds a number of posts at the palliative care centre which make a real difference to patients and their families every single day.

We fund additional nursing roles to support patients, along with a complementary therapy service, to provide relaxation and respite for patients who are terminally ill, or at the end of their life. 

The complementary therapy service provides a calming experience for patients who may be dealing with physically and psychologically exhausting conditions. Complementary therapies can help ease patients’ painful symptoms, and soothe their bodies and minds, improving their quality of life and ability to cope with their condition.

Therapies available at Hayward House include massage, aromatherapy and reflexology, carried about by qualified practitioners with experience in treating patients with life-limiting conditions.

Adam Doran, whose wife Clare was cared for at the City Hospital and, at the end of her life, at Hayward House, said:

“One thing Clare loved whilst she was in hospital was a visit from one of the lovely complementary therapists who gave her the most amazing foot massages. It was such a respite for Clare and a break from the day-to-day grind of an extended stay in hospital. I was blown away when one of the therapists heard that Clare was in Hayward House and came to give her one last foot massage. She would have loved that.”

Thanks to our supporters, we are also able to fund counselling and bereavement support for patients who are terminally ill or at the end of the life, as well as for their family members and loved ones, including children.

Rebecca Barker, Counsellor at Hayward House, supports patients receiving palliative care, as well as their and families and loved ones. She also provides bereavement support to families after their loved one has passed away.

Rebecca explained: “The bereavement service is hugely valuable, we can continue to support families and friends following the death of their relation. It can prove to be very therapeutic for friends and family members to come back to Hayward House and continue their grief process with people who understand what the situation was like for them – working with counsellors are who used to and comfortable with life-limiting illness, cancer, death and dying. The reality of experiencing palliative care can be difficult to fully understand unless it’s an experienced you’ve lived or worked with.”

Thanks to funding through the Hayward House Appeal, the team has also been able to recruit a specialist children’s and teenagers’ counsellor.

Rebecca explained: “At Hayward House we have seen an ever increasing demographic of younger patients with young families and children. The approach to counselling children and teenagers is unique, and a child counsellor undergoes very specific training, so it is pivotal we have a specialised and experienced counsellor within our team to fulfil these ever increasing needs.

“We are really pleased to have appointed a new children and teenage counsellor who will be based here at Hayward House, to support young family members of patients receiving palliative or end of life care.

“Our children’s counsellor will then continue to work with these children and families with their bereavement process when they are ready. This will have a huge impact on these families as all existing children’s services have long waiting lists and are not always available locally.”

None of this would be possible without your donations to our Hayward House Appeal.

Please donate today to help us continue to provide these valuable services for patients and their families.