Time-honoured techniques helping older people face the future with serious illness 12 September 2013 ANCIENT relaxation techniques are being combined with modern-day care and support to help older people with a serious illness remain at home. The project, called Care @ Home, is being run throughout South Lanarkshire and draws on the expertise of qualified complementary therapists and palliative care nurses. Practices used include Reiki, a system of massage which originated in ancient Tibet, and Indian Head Massage, dating back some 4000 years. Reflexology – which stimulates pressure points on the feet and hands and can be traced to 4000BC China – is also available to people and their unpaid carers in areas including Clydesdale, Hamilton, Blantyre, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Stonehouse. The Care @ Home project has been set up under the nationwide Reshaping Care for Older People (RCOP) programme to provide crucial emotional support to people affected by Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and Huntingdon’s Disease. Care @ Home Sister Lorraine MacAlpine, a St Andrews Hospice Nurse, says the time-honoured relaxation techniques are playing a huge part in helping people face the future with a life limiting illness. “The mix of support we offer – from the initial one-to-one assessments by the Specialist Nurses to the range of relaxation and stress management techniques – is geared to enabling older people and their families retake control at time of life which can often be fraught with anxiety and worry. “People are different when you meet them in their own environment and they do open up a lot more to you about things they are worried about. “That allows us to see the bigger picture and tailor a system of support and techniques that best suits the need.” The work comes at a vital time. Research shows that most older people prefer to stay in their own homes with support, if they are unable to look after themselves. It’s expected the number of older Scots requiring some form of support or care will rise by nearly 50% by 2032. RCOP, whose partners include NHS Lanarkshire, South and North Lanarkshire Council, the third and the independent sector, aims to help growing numbers of older people over 65 to continue to live full, positive and independent lives in the community. And Care @ Home are driving to make that a reality through their work at grassroots level. The team of 15 includes Specialist Nurses from St Andrews and Kilbryde Hospice with the outreach staff from The Haven – a charity offering a spectrum of support to those affected by serious illness. Dilly Court-Brown, former District Nurse, who now works as one of the Specialist Care @ Home nurse for Kilbryde Hospice, says the Team are playing a key role in supporting the work of health and social care partners. “Referrals often come through NHS Lanarkshire or South Lanarkshire Council Social work. After initial assessment the Nurse will identify and discuss appropriate therapeutic support,” Dilly said. “The complementary therapies consist of six sessions – and following the final session the Nurse will review and reassess the need for further relaxation treatments. We also have a volunteer befriending service. “Indeed, a lot of what we do is providing a listening ear – the Team are highly experienced in palliative care and dealing with the situations people are facing. “Just having that empathy there can go a long way to helping someone cope, be it the person with the illness or indeed their carer.” Unpaid carers are also a huge focus of the work. Dilly added: “There can be a lot of stress and anxiety involved with looking after someone and if we can help the carers to feel relaxed, in control and help them understand what their role is, it definitely makes it easier for people to stay at home – and near their loved ones.”
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:05:46 +0000
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