Our aim is to make life fun for children who stay here (From Worcester News)

Our aim is to make life fun for children who stay here

10:20pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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THE quality of care given to the life-limited youngsters who use Acorns Children’s hospice is paramount.

To help achieve excellent care, head nurse Sue Curry manages a dedicated team of about 40 paid staff made up of qualified children’s nurses and healthcare assistants along with physio, housekeeping, kitchen and maintenance staff.

For each child, the team creates a care plan which aims to keep his or her routines as close to their home lives as possible.

Staff are also on hand 24 hours a day to offer support to families over the phone or via the hospice’s community team in their own homes.

However, according to Mrs Curry, one of the most important parts of her job is to make life fun for the children.

The hospice offers family splash time in its pool, music and arts activities and has a sensory room with coloured lights and tactile objects.Teenagers also have their own adolescents’ room to foster a sense of independence.

Mrs Curry said: “Every child is treated as an individual. It’s their care and revolves around them.”

“It’s to do with fun, bringing them to do things here they can’t do at home. Children like coming here.”

Mrs Curry said some of the teenagers would even book weekends at the hospice at the same time as their friends.

The short breaks allow the children’s families, often exhausted by the 24-hour care needed by their youngsters, to have their own much-needed holidays. However, a more sombre side of the services offered at the Bath Road hospice is the end-of-life care the team provides.

Mrs Curry said: “It’s a choice for the families.

“Some families want to look after their child in the home and want them to die in the home. Some want to come here. They may be absolutely terrified and they’ve got all this 24-hour support here.

“It’s very much family-led and what they want to do.”

Mrs Curry said this side of the staff’s work could be tough but it was a privilege to be able to help families at difficult moments.

She said: “We do get attached to the children and it is draining at times and very sad but the majority of times you come into Acorns, it’s a happy, noisy place.

“We see the children happy here – it’s lovely.”

Thanks to all our helpers – but we still need more

AN army of volunteers helps keep Acorns children’s hospice running every day of the year.

About 145 volunteers work alongside paid staff to help care for life-limited children and their families from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.

As the hospice in Bath Road celebrates its fifth birthday, volunteers’ manager Katreena Barnes had a simple message for them: Thank you.

She said: “I want to thank them all.

“They give so unconditionally and I just want them to know we are so grateful for what they do for us.

“This facility couldn’t run without volunteers.”

Mrs Barnes said she interviews two would-be volunteers a week, who could be aged 17, 80 or anything in between and may end up housekeeping, befriending families or fund-raising.

She said: “We have people who work part-time, full-time, students or people who have been out of work and need to build up some confidence to go back into the workplace.

“Some give an hour a week or a whole day.

“We are really fortunate because we’ve never had to do any active recruitment because people hear about us and just want to help.”

Volunteers may be asked to do anything from manning reception to reading to the children or they could provide the use of their particular specialist skills.

For example, the hospice offers complementary therapies and would welcome volunteers with aromatherapy, massage, or reflexology experience.

However, Mrs Barnes said a willingness to help was the only requirement.

She also believes volunteers must enjoy the experience.

She said: “If people aren’t gaining anything – even if that’s just feeling good about themselves – then I say maybe there is another charity for you.

“They’ve got to get something out of their experience too.”

Anyone interested in volunteering at the hospice should call Mrs Barnes on 01905 767676.