Family Support

The Family Support Service at Primrose Hospice provides a range of psycho-social support for patient's, carers and loved ones. The service is headed by the Family Support Team Leader, a qualified social worker, and incorporates:


Our Family Support services are available to all patients, relatives and close friends connected with Primrose. We offer pre-bereavement, bereavement and post-bereavement support to all who require psychosocial and practical help, or just a “listening ear”.

When patients and their families are living with a serious illness, every aspect of life can be affected.

Not only are there physical and medical aspects of the illness to cope with but also the impact on the future, family and working life, leisure and social activities, finances and financial security.

Feeling, beliefs, homes and aims in life can feel turned upside down.

All members of the hospice team give a certain level of psychological, emotional and practical support. However, the professionals and volunteers within the Family Support team can offer additional help.

Adult Family Support

Primrose offers emotional support to adults, patients, carers and loved ones through the Family Support Team.

Eleven trained volunteers make up the two Adult Team Family Support Teams. The teams are supervised at Primrose by the Family Support Team Leader.

The volunteers see people in their own homes or at the Day Hospice if the person prefers.

The Family Support Team offers an empathetic ear to support people on their journey through the different stages of cancer and other life-limiting illness.

Our service can work with individuals or support the family together. A life threatening illness can cause major changes within a family and children of all ages will be affected by this. Our Family Support service can support families through this extremely difficult time, and we will try to ensure we provide a service which meets each family's individual needs.

Contact Heather Coughlin or Tracey Irish on 01527 871051

Children’s Family Support Team

The Children’s Family Support Team consists of seven volunteers, all of whom have a background working with children, and in addition have received specific training in listening to and supporting children at times when a special person in their life has a life threatening illness or has died.

The Children’s Family Support Worker will usually visit the child in their own home, or if more appropriate within another setting, ie the childs school or at the Primrose Centre.

Citizen’s Advice

The CAB advisor offers practical advice, information and representation as needed for isssues including benefits, housing, employment, debt, bereavement issues, including funerals and probate, concerns about family and other relationship issues, and helps with charity applications.

Following referral, appointments are available to patients, carers and close family members where appropriate and people can be seen either in their own homes or at the hospice. Alternatively advice can be given over the telephone. The service is designed to be flexible to accommodate individual client need.

Contact Heather Connon on 01527 871051

Counselling Team

The Primrose Centre offers a Counselling Service to patients, their relatives, friends, loved ones and carers. Counselling can help people explore and make sense of confusing and difficult thoughts and emotions, and can be especially helpful at a time when we are affected by serious illness or loss.


Counselling is different for each person. Sometimes people find that counselling helps them to feel better quickly. For other people they may feel worse before they feel better. The outcome of counselling may not always be what is expected, but hopefully it will be positive.
 

The Counselling Team consists of a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited Counsellor, along with qualified volunteer counsellors and student counsellors on clinical placement. All the counsellors belong to BACP and work to the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. All the counsellors have supervision in line with BACP requirements.


Counselling sessions are available for individuals, as well as for couples and family members together. Counselling is also available for children and young people. There is no time limit on when counselling can be accessed. The service can be accessed at any time following a diagnosis of cancer or other life limiting illness. You can refer yourself to the service or be referred by a health care professional, such as your GP.
Following an initial assessment, there is sometimes a short wait before a counsellor becomes available. There is no charge for accessing the Counselling Service and all sessions are confidential, your counsellor will talk with you about the limits of confidentiality at your first session.
If you are interested in accessing our counselling service, please contact Tracy Irish on 01527 871051.


Children & Young People’s Counselling
When a young person loses someone they love or someone they care about has a life threatening illness life can feel scary, distressing, and make them feel anxious or confused. Sometimes family and friends can give young people all the support we need, but sometimes not.
Counselling gives a private space for a young person to talk through difficulties with someone who is not involved in their family life. Counselling is likely to be different from any support or advice a young person has had before. The counsellor does not tell clients what to do or make judgements about them, but will always try to understand things from the young person’s point of view, and help support them to find their own answers.


Couples & Family Counselling
When someone dies or is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, your partner and family members can be a source of comfort and support, but sometimes at such times relationships within families are put under strain.
Family and couples counselling are types of counselling which work with families members or couples together to help them share their thoughts and feelings. It can help people reach more of an understanding and help everyone cope better with their situation.

Following an initial assessment, there is sometimes a short wait before a counsellor becomes available. Sessions are time limited, usually between 6 and 12.

Contact Tracey Irish on 01527 871051

Chaplaincy

The chaplain and chaplaincy volunteers offer friendship and support to patients, their families and friends as they face and have to deal with life changing situations. This "spiritual care" as it is often called is offered whatever peoples faith or belief.  Members of the team offer a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on , prayer or sitting in silence which ever is most appropriate to each person or family.

Religious needs are catered for by way of services such as Holy Communion, prayer, blessings or renewal of marriage vows. The chaplaincy service is offered in  a multi-faith context which means that literature and artefacts of faith are available and contact can be made for you with local faith leaders should you need to do so.

The dedicated "Sacred Space" at the Hospice is available for peace, quiet reflection, meditation, the lighting of candles and prayer. All are welcome.

Home visits and visits to the Primrose at the Princess and other local hospitals are also available on request.

For further information or an informal chat please contact Rev. Rick White on his mobile 07788 415421 or at the Hospice on 01527 871051.

Lifestory Books & Memory Boxes

Memory boxes and books enable people to feel close and connected to important people in their lives; they do not create memories, but help to keep memories alive.

Memory boxed and books can also be used to let a loved one know things about a person who is seriously ill and may not be around in the future or who has died. They can also be a record for children who are too young to understand what is happening, but will cherish the information when they are older.

Memory boxes and books are as individual as the person who creates them and are put together to meet the needs of the family members to whom they will be given.

However, creating a memory box or book can be demanding, confusing and at times distressing, therefore should you wish support or advice regarding creating a Memory box or book, help is available from members of the Family Support Team who have been specially trained to help you put a box or book together.

Social work

The following questions often worry hospice patients and families:


There are occasions when the family needs are more complex. Living with serious illness can affect every aspect of peoples' lives. These stresses and strains can become difficult to cope with and talking to a social worker, either alone or with other family members can help with this. Discussing all the available options can also help with any decisions that need to be made. The social worker can also assist by liasing with other agencies and services and advocating on behalf of the family.


If you are interested in any of these services please contact the Family Support Team Leader.  email : heather.coughlin@worcspct.nhs.uk