WORCESTERSHIRE Royal Hospital has opened a new relatives room where loved ones of patients nearing the end of their lives can take a break from ward environments.
The new Peony room was opened as part of dying matters awareness week and provides a quiet space for loved ones to reflect, rest and have refreshments.
The room is part of the SUPPORT scheme, which aims to raise awareness for ways that hospital staff can do to make the experiences of loved ones a little easier during a tough time in their lives.
The initiative was launched by the palliative and end of life care team at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, providing care packs to the relatives and friends of patients.
The idea for the room came following feedback from trust voices of bereavement surveys, which highlighted the need for a space to help loved ones to have some time for themselves.
Plans are already underway to offer a similar service at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital.
The team from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity helped to furnish the Peony room as well as providing the refreshments.
Lead Nurse Specialist Palliative and End of Life Care teams Lead Nurse Specialist Avril Adams said: “We are delighted to be able to introduce the new Peony room for the relatives of some of our seriously ill patients.
“Death and dying is very difficult to deal with, but helping patients and those people important to them at their time of greatest need is hugely important to us.
”Our patients often worry about how their loved ones are coping even when they are receiving treatment, and these new facilities will help bring great comfort to our patients that we are providing holistic care for people most important to them too.”
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Matthew Hopkins added: “Patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do here at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
“This is yet another fantastic example of ways our staff focus on offering the best possible care to our patients and their loved ones.”
Visit https://wahcharity.org/the-end-of-life-care-fund for more information on how to support Worcestershire Acute Hospitals charity.
