A Word From Our Music Therapist....

'Music therapy is the use of sounds and music within an evolving relationship between client/patient and therapist to support and develop physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual well-being' (The Handbook of Music Therapy, 2002, eds Bunt and Hoskyns)

Music can be a very powerful tool for exploring how we feel, for expressing those emotions, for reviving memories and for enabling relaxation.

As the music therapist, I work with both patients and family members. In the Day Service, I facilitate groups or work with individuals. We use music in lots of ways; making life review CDs, listening, writing songs and exploring the sounds of the instruments. Most people I work with don't describe themselves as musical but they are perfectly able to use music in these ways. I also see patients in their rooms on the In-Patient Unit where they can play instruments, reminisce on musical memories or simply sit back and listen. Patients and family members can access music therapy as outpatients too. 

We asked June, one of our patients about her experiences whilst accessing Music Therapy:

"Aspiration, exploration, experimentation.  You have opportunities to investigate instruments with a wonderful therapist who knows when to intervene or not."

Pots at Pepenbury

Over three sessions our patients have been working with service users from Pepenbury on a collaborative pottery piece.

Pepenbury is a local charity that provides high quality care and support for adults with a learning disability and complex needs.  They achieve this through the provision of full-time residential care, supported accommodation, day service activities and community support.

The first session took us to local house and sculpture gardens, Marle Place.  We took various photographs of the beautiful space, but the one above of a particular sculpture caught our eye.

This sculpture has inspired a few sculptures we have in the gardens of the Hospice, created by patients over a few years during our craft groups, led by Activities Co-ordinator Julie Annis.

The next couple of sessions were spent in the Pottery Studio at Pepenbury.  We all made coil pots to be strung together in a larger sculpture, this technique was very tactile and a little messy!  All patients enjoyed the sessions, whether for the therapeutic benefits of handling the clay or for the peer support and social interaction.

Liz Blande, the Pottery Instructor at Pepenbury told us,

‘Our pottery sessions allow people of all abilities to enjoy the many therapeutic aspects of ceramics: helping motor skills, dexterity and creativity. We use basic hand building and decorative techniques including coiling, slab building and press moulding to produce functional vessels and sculptural forms which can be found in our shop. We have two potters' wheels, one of which is wheelchair friendly. The class is geared to the ability of each individual. Some people attend regularly and like to solely pound the clay for their own benefit.’

Some of the pottery produced at Pepenbury

As of the time of writing this blog I’m afraid the pots were in the kiln!  So you will have to wait and see what they look like…..

Music In Hospitals Concert

Music in Hospitals is a charity whose mission is to improve the quality of life for adults and children with all kinds of illness and disability through the joy and therapeutic benefits of professionally performed live music in hospitals, hospices, day care centres, special schools, nursing and residential homes.

‘Creating Joy Through Music’ is their motto, and it certainly did here at the Hospice.

Rick Christian, guitarist and singer joined us for an afternoon of musical entertainment.  All the patients were encouraged to be involved in some way, whether it was singing along whilst still making their crafts, tapping their hands and feet or shaking their egg shakers!

Our patients enjoyed the afternoon thoroughly; live music can make such a big difference, improving emotional well being, lifting the spirit, stimulating reminiscence and promoting conversation.

A Volunteers Perspective

Agnes volunteers in the Hospice Day Service once a week.  She wanted to tell you all how she finds volunteering and why she does it.

I am privileged to be a volunteer in the Hospice Day Service.
 I can truthfully say that it is a most rewarding experience.   Yes, as an older person I get a bit tired but I love it.

When I joined the volunteer force just over a year ago I was, I suppose a bit like many new patients, very apprehensive but I needn’t have worried.   From the moment you enter the building you feel the extraordinary atmosphere of support and warmth from staff and fellow volunteers.  
 I think its fair to say that I get as much and more out of it than I put in, and I genuinely look forward to my day at Hospice in the Weald. 


If you would like to volunteer in any role at Hospice in the Weald please contact Julia Cronin in our Personnel Department on 01892 820529 or email volunteering@hospiceintheweald.org.uk

Volunteers on Film!

National Citizen Service (NCS) is a scheme open to all 16 and 17-year-olds in England.  It helps you build skills for work and life, whilst taking on new challenges and meeting new friends.

NCS brings together young people from different backgrounds and helps them develop greater confidence, self-awareness and responsibility. It encourages personal and social development by working on skills like leadership, teamwork and communication.

Participants develop a social action project to deal with a local issue they’re passionate about, and spend 30 hours putting the project into action in their community. Over the past month we have had two groups working with our patients.

The first group produced a music set and performed to and with our patients.  The 60’s vibe was embraced completely!  One of our patients regaled the students with his stories of being on tour in his own band in the 60s.

The second group wanted to create something that would thank the volunteers in our organization and show how much they were appreciated. 

On the first visit the students filmed patients, staff and volunteers being interviewed about the work volunteers do in the Hospice Day Service.  Over that week they produced and edited a beautiful film.

Watch it here!

On the second visit, after providing activities for the patients all day, we had the premier of the film shown to patients, volunteers and staff.  The students then provided lots of yummy food through different fundraising activities, for an afternoon tea party shared and enjoyed by all! 

A big thank you to all those who participated!

A Reflective and Relaxing Place

We took the opportunity to take a few photographs of the tranquil space that is our Quiet Garden.

'It's lovely to see Marguerite and Jo enjoying some time in our Quiet Garden, which has been looking really sunny and beautiful in these summer months. The décor is now completed thanks to Brian Bodkin (Creative Arts volunteer) and our volunteer gardeners always take trouble to keep it looking pretty and colourful . 

The Quiet Garden has a lovely flowing water feature which is always enjoyed and provides a quiet private space for patients, their carers, families and friends, to relax. Our equally lovely Quiet Room  looks out onto this Garden and all are welcome to visit and use either, when coming to the hospice. 

Spiritual care is an important part of the holistic care we provide and we hope these are places where all can find some peace and inspiration in the midst of challenging times.  The chaplaincy team is here to offer you support and a listening ear so do not hesitate to ask if you wish to speak with one of us  when you visit.'

Liza Waller 

Chaplain

What Not to Say

This week one of our patients, Kate, and a group of her peers worked together to produce the do’s and don’t of what to say and do, written specially for our blog.

I attend the Hospice Day Service one day a week, and one day myself and other patients were discussing around the craft table things we found irritating, upsetting and some almost amusing (in a macabre way), that people say or do when they know you are terminally ill.

Please find below a list we as a group created of things NOT to say:

1.     Don’t spout things like

‘You’re on a journey’,

‘You must fight’,

‘Don’t give up’ and ‘you’re so brave’.

We are only brave because there is no other choice.

2.     Just because I may have difficulty communicating does not mean I am daft!

3.     Saying ‘You look well, you would never know there was anything wrong!’  Especially when you feel horrible.

4.     Telling us ‘you must remain positive.  Anyone I have ever met with a life limiting illness has always been really positive!’  Everyone deals with his or her illness differently.

5.     Please do not tell us the story about your uncle’s neighbour’s cousin, who had the same disease we do and had a horribly painful and tragic death.  This does not make us feel any better!

6.     Friends, please tell us exactly when you want to meet up.  We know it can be difficult to cope with seeing us ill, but sometimes we can’t make simple decisions such as when to meet, so don’t say to us ‘We’ll sort out a time to meet later’.

7.     When having difficulty communicating please don’t speak over us or say ‘I can’t understand what you are saying’ and walk away without trying.

8.     The worst thing you could ever say to us or another terminally ill patient is ‘Anyone of us could be hit by a bus tomorrow!’
We may feel that today it could be you under the bus!

Thank you for reading this and we hope it makes it easier for you to talk to anyone you know who may have a life limiting illness.

Kate