A Day in the Life… Sarah Hunter, Complementary Therapy Service Lead

We are a close, small team of three staff members including myself, and eleven volunteers.

Each morning, one of the team will attend Take 5 – this is a morning hand over with the medical team about patients in the Inpatient Unit (IPU). We then catch up as a team to plan our day to ensure the IPU is supported between us, and attend our community visits.

I then coordinate any qualified volunteers that are supporting us at the hospice, in the Pamper and Relaxation Wellbeing Sessions or Bereavement Coffee Mornings, which are part of our Patient and Family Support Services provision. This is a good example of the different areas we work closely with. I ensure volunteers have an appropriate handover and introduce them to the patients if this is needed.

“Volunteers are a huge help for our team, enabling more patients and carers to receive complementary therapy.”

I check on new referrals, and make sure that they meet our criteria before accepting them for treatment. These are allocated to the right therapist depending on area. Patient and carers are supported for management of physical symptoms and psychological support. Phone calls are made to arrange a visit at home, or as an outpatient at the hospice.

“I feel very privileged to provide treatments and to witness the positive impact this has. We use our treatments as tools to hold space with the patient or carer, this may even be in silence, enabling them to feel safe. This allows them to express and release their emotions, worries, or grief.”

After a treatment it may be appropriate for me to liaise with their Weldmar Community Nurse or refer to our other services such as counselling or carer support.

My other commitments include attending meetings, such as weekly Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT). I cover the north, the other members of the team cover the south and central Dorset.

Complementary Therapy can target support for symptom management.

For example, anxiety, panic attacks, pain, nausea, breathlessness, cramping/ spasms, constipation or a combination of these symptoms. The Complementary Therapy team work closely with medical and nursing colleagues, physio and family support services at Weldmar.

These therapies are a key part of the overall umbrella of care that we provide for people experiencing life limiting illness. Providing solutions such as symptom management and pain control and teaching the patient or family member some self-management tools to help them feel empowered with their own autonomy.

The therapies on offer from Weldmar include Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Massage, Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Sound Therapy, Gentle Touch, and Yoga Nidra (a form of meditation and muscle relaxation).