Active Intervention Centre

 

St Luke’s Active Intervention Centre provides specialist palliative day care to patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

The centre aims to promote independence, maintain function and manage complex clinical problems, to help patients live well for as long as possible. Staff can help to address problems with symptom management and the physical, psychological and emotional issues associated with a terminal illness, as well as provide support and guidance with financial or social concerns and spiritual care.

The Active Intervention Centre offers a safe, secure and comfortable environment for people with terminal illnesses to discuss concerns with a healthcare professional, and a space to meet other people who are living with a similar illness to themselves and experiencing similar concerns.

Therapies and services available include:

• Occupational therapy – helps patients to overcome problems and feelings often associated with a terminal illness, by suggesting solutions to practical problems to help maintain a person’s independence and enable them to get the most out of life. The team undertake home assessments and can organise equipment to help patients in the home. 

• Physiotherapy – supports patients to be more independently mobile. They undertake assessments and encourage patients to do as much as possible physically, as well as helping to alleviate problems and symptoms associated with a person’s condition. Patients attending the centre can also access the physiotherapy gym and exercise classes.

• Social work – provides practical and emotional support to patients, families and friends. The team can advise on financial matters and liaise with other organisations, agencies and services on a person’s behalf.

• Spiritual care – offers help and support to patients, families and friends of all faiths and those of no faith.

• Wellbeing services – provides one-to-one tailor-made therapies and treatments including reflexology, aromatherapy, massage, reiki, relaxation and beauty therapy to help patients feel relaxed and positive about themselves.

• Psychological therapy – provides emotional and psychological support to patients, families and friends.

• Oral history service – provides patients with the opportunity to make an audio recording of their life story that they can share with their family and friends.

• Community clinics – clinics are led by St Luke’s nursing team and provide the opportunity for patients with complex symptoms or those who are taking complex medications to be assessed by a senior member of the community team or a doctor, as well as accessing nursing and specialist medicinal advice.

 

Accessing the centre

The Active Intervention Centre is open every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:30am – 3pm. Patients usually attend on the same day each week and they can either attend the centre for a full day or the day can be tailored to meet their individual needs. For patients who do not wish to attend the centre for a full day, appointments can be arranged with individual practitioners.

Following a referral into the service a member of the team will be in contact to arrange an appointment for the patient’s first visit, where they will assess their individual needs and develop a tailor-made 8-12 week care program.

The centre is based at St Luke’s Hospice, Little Common Lane site. Wherever possible patients are asked to make their own way there, although if this is not possible transport via ambulance or car can usually be arranged.