NursingNotes
  • login
  • signup
  • Latest News
  • Clinical Updates
  • Professional
  • Education
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
NursingNotes
No Result
View All Result

Home > News

Hospital introduces ‘comfort trolleys’ for the families of palliative care patients

The trolleys include; light snacks, tea, coffee and toiletry items for relatives to freshen up.


9 July 2019
comfort trolleys' for the family of dying patients

Southern Health and Social Care Trust

The trolley gives families a little bit of comfort during a very difficult time.

A hospital has introduced ‘comfort trolleys’ for relatives sitting with patients who are nearing the end of life.



Staff on Ward 2 at the Lurgan Hospital in Northern Ireland launched the initiative after they noticed that many visitors were often reluctant to leave the side of dying relatives or ask ‘busy staff’ for help.

The trolleys, which is left in the rooms of patients nearing the end of their lives, includes; light snacks, tea, coffee and toiletry items for relatives to freshen up.

A senior nurse for the trust praised the team saying the initiative has given families “a little bit of comfort during a very difficult time”.

They are now available on all wards in Lurgan and Loane House, South Tyrone Hospital having won a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition for funding at the Trust’s Quality Improvement Event last year.


Showing great compassion.

Pat Nugent, Head of Service for the Southern Trust’s Non-Acute Hospitals explains: “As a Non Acute Hospital, our team at Lurgan specialise in offering high-quality rehabilitation services.”

“In some cases, patients are sadly unable to rehabilitate and can deteriorate to the stage of requiring end of life care, known as Palliative Care. As a very emotional time for the whole family, this involves looking after the patient as well as their loved ones, with great compassion.

“Understandably, families want to spend as much time as possible with their loved one at the end of life and we do everything we can to allow this, supporting them with their emotional as well as physical needs.

“Often families don’t want to leave their relative to go for refreshments during their last hours or don’t want to ask staff, who they feel are already very busy looking after patients.


“The Trolley which is left in the patient’s room for families to help themselves is a very simple and inexpensive solution.

“I sincerely thank those staff members who came up with this concept which will go a long way in offering a little bit of comfort during a very difficult time.”



Popular

Patient face mask in GP

GP practices can now deregister patients for ‘unrealistic service demands’

2 June 2022

student nurse staff nurse

Student nurses ‘used and abused’ on placements

13 June 2022

RCN

Nursing staff demand immediate review of ‘not fit for purpose’ Agenda for Change pay and conditions

8 June 2022

Insight

Busy A&E waiting room

‘The NHS is having its worst winter ever – and the reasons run much deeper than COVID’

28 January 2022

Hospital curtain intensive care

‘During the Downing Street Christmas Party we were caring for dying patients and forbidden from seeing family’

8 December 2021

Vaccine inPPE

‘Making vaccination compulsory for NHS frontline workers likely to make patients suffer’

19 November 2021


Related Posts

Crying Nurse-min
Workforce

Sharp rise in nurses off sick due to anxiety, stress, and depression

1 July 2022
Close-up the positive young nurse who is dialing medicine into the syringe indoors
Clinical

Hospitals reintroduce compulsory mask wearing for staff and patients

29 June 2022
Nurse using computer night
Clinical

Virtual wards will free up hospital space and reduce staffing burden

29 June 2022
NursingNotes

© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk

Navigate Site

  • Who are we?
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Agenda for Change Pay Scales

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • Clinical
  • Education
  • Health Politics
  • Opinion
  • Resources

© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk