Dove House Hospice - Inpatient Unit

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Inpatient Unit

Dove House Hospice's Inpatient Unit offers 24 hour care for patients and is a warm and friendly place that aims to achieve an atmosphere as close to home as possible. We all know that 'there is no place like home' and because of this the staff at the hospice try to create a homely environment and try to provide the patients who are staying with us any home comforts they might want.

What you will find on the Inpatient Unit

Bedrooms - The Inpatient Unit is made up of four single rooms and four four-bedded rooms which are allocated to patients according to social and medical needs (there are no mixed sex rooms). Each room has a toilet and washing facilities near the bed(s). All of the rooms have access to a conservatory in which patients can spend time away from their beds and where they can look out on to or go in to the beautiful gardens.
Entertainment - Each patient has access to their own individual television set (headphones are provided in the four-bed rooms) and there is a vast range of reading material available in the bookcases and newspapers can be requested.
Lounge - We have a patient sitting room complete with television, DVD player, sofa and chairs and a dining table which patients and their families can use. One corner of the sitting room is an activity corner where there are a selection of craft materials available for use.
Kitchen - Alongside the sitting room there is a kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities and a fridge where patients can keep any foods they might wish to bring with them to Dove House. Our catering department provides meals for patients and will liaise directly with them to discuss any special dietary needs - family members can also be provided with meals.
Flexible Visiting Hours - Family members are welcome to visit patients any time of the day up until 9pm. However, this can be later in special circumstances and on occasions it can be arranged for families to stay at the hospice in our self contained flat, the Princess Diana Suite, which is especially designed for families to be near their loved ones. Children and pets are also welcome to visit the Inpatient Unit. Whilst we do not expect children to be quiet as mice, and do provide toys for them to play with, we may have to restrict play at times as some of the patients are very unwell.
York Room - this is our multi-faith room and is a peaceful space that can be used for quite reflection as well as prayers etc.- anyone is welcome to spend time in here whatever their religious views.

Care on the Inpatient Unit

There are lots of myths surrounding the type of care we give here at Dove House Hospice and some of them can be quite off-putting and indeed scary! Please read on below to find out how we care for people who have to stay at the hospice or click here to visit our Myth Busting page.

The Inpatient Unit offers 24 hour care and aims to help with not only the pain that comes with life-limiting illnesses but also other symptoms that a patient might be suffering with. In most cases, a short stay at the hospice can allow the medical team a chance to resolve these problems and hopefully leave the patient feeling much better so that they can return home feeling more comfortable and more able to cope with their illness.

The Inpatient Unit can also provide care in the last days of life. If a patient would like to be at the hospice at this time the staff will ensure that dignity and comfort are maintained throughout the final days, however Dove House Hospice does encourage patients and their families to choose where they would prefer to be at this time and will help make the necessary arrangements should they wish to be at home.

Here at Dove House Hospice we do offer some respite care facilities within the Inpatient Unit however at the moment this facility is quite limited (please click here to find out about our plans to develop this area). We do endeavour to accommodate people who need to come into the hospice for a short stay to give carers a short break from continual caring.

The Inpatient Unit Team

The clinical team on the Inpatient Unit includes professionals from many different areas including consultants, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, complementary therapists and the family and patient support team to ensure that every aspect of the patients life is looked after and helped whilst they are at the hospice. We want to make sure that we treat the whole person rather than just the illness and everything we do will be centred around the patient and their family. To find out more about the different teams who care for patients here at Dove House Hospice please click here.

When you visit the Inpatient Unit at Dove House Hospice you will find that the staff are all very welcoming and relaxed and are happy to answer any questions or help in any way they can. The staff on the Inpatient Unit endeavour to give maximum support at what can be an extremely difficult time in a person's life and will always treat patients and their families with dignity and respect.

We have put together pages full of information for patients, families and carers that should answer some further questions you may have about staying at Dove House Hospice, please click on the links below to view these pages:

for patients

for families

for carers

The Inpatient Unit helps people with many different life limiting illnesses including cancer, respiratory illnesses and neurological diseases to name a few and can help anyone who has had a diagnosis of a non-curable life limiting illness. If you would like to know more about the care that is given on the Inpatient Unit please call us on 01482 784343 or email the Senior Sisters on sisters@dovehouse.org.uk or if you think you or someone you know could benefit from the services highlighted then please visit our Referrals page by clicking here.