Relatively Speaking

'They (patients) don't want you to be lachrymose and whining with them, they like you to be fresh and active and interested……..A sick person does so enjoy hearing good news'
Florence Nightingale 1860

Over the years attitudes have changed and it is now recognised that relatives are a vital lifeline to normality for the patient, a source of information for staff and part of the holistic treatment of that patient.

• 'Hospice at home' nurse helps terminally ill patients through their photographs
• 'Make in the mug' soups can make a change from tea or coffee and provide a welcome snack
• A box of labelled food in the ward kitchen can help a patient who is struggling to enjoy food
• A midwife offers some simple, but brilliant ideas for mothers in labour
• A supply of long straws by the bed help patients drink when they struggle to sit up
• Simple ideas can make a huge difference in care homes and nursing homes
• BBC programme 'Relationships' discusses 'Adjusting to bad news'
• Large Piece Adult Jigsaws can help those with limited hand movements or partial sight
• The Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre, Leeds - Complementary Therapies
• Alzheimer's Society encourages communication skills by 'Singing for the Brain'
• Alzheimer's Society explain how to understand and respect someone with dementia
• Bingo and other board games help residents with short term memory loss to play their part
• Blankets can bring warmth and comfort to immobile patients
• Board Games can restore confidence of people with short term memory problems
• Bringing your own pillow to hospital can make perfect sense (scents)
• British Geriatric Society launch campaign 'Do not forget the person'
• British Geriatric Society urge staff and relatives to keep older people's glasses sparkling clean
• British Geriatric Society urge staff to check that batteries work in older people's hearing aids
• British Lung Foundation offer Breathe Easy Support groups
• British Red Cross offer therapeutic care
• Colourful, large wall mounted calendars help patients with dementia
• CALL Cancer Aid and Listening Line in Manchester
• Car drives to a local beauty spot give pleasure to many residents in Care homes
• Chatting to other visitors on the wards - one visitor's personal view
• Chips from the chip shop can be great finger food and lift the spirits of long stay patients
• Clearly written notes, clearly displayed can help carers care for patients in the community
• Cocktails in the garden lift the spirits of residents at a Care Home in Derbyshire
• 'Shakespeare Hospice' - Complementary Therapies for relatives
• Shakespeare Hospice offers counselling for patients and carers
• Crossroads Care is the leading provider of support for carers and the people they care for
• Cruse Bereavement Care helps bereaved people cope with their loss
• Dementia - sensible advice from a relative
• Digital photo frames enable patients with limited movement to enjoy many photographs
• District Nursing Student gives common sense advice on pain management
• DIY foot spa can be a relaxing treat for some long term patients
• Dorset Country Hospital NHS Foundation Trust help with parking issues for patients with disabilities
• Dorset County Hospital Stroke unit volunteers make a huge difference
• Alzheimer's Society urges early diagnosis of dementia to help patients and relatives plan the future
• E-mails keep family and friends up to date and enable patients to keep in touch
• Entertainment possibilities in the local community for older people in care or at home
• Shakespeare Hospice - Family Support
• First impressions are so important
• Foot care is so important for any patient who may struggle to communicate
• A senior ward nurse explains why communication at every level is so important
• Gift ideas for older long stay patients
• Headway offers advice and support for anyone affected by a brain injury
• Heartlands Hospital invites school choir's to sing to patients and relatives
• Age UK offers sensitive advice on coping with a bereavement
• Helpful advice on admission to hospital. A personal view from a relative
• Home-cooked food can help whet the appetite of a patient in hospital
• Home Sweet Home - things to think about when leaving hospital
• BBC programme 'Relationships' examines Hospice care
• How a family coped when their child with Down's syndrome developed leukaemia
• If a patient can't sleep...there may be a reason!
• Simple information, clearly displayed, can offer reassurance for anyone with a memory problem
• Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust use Memory Suitcases to help patients with dementia
• Ipswich Hospital Offers Ward Matron Drop-in sessions to patients and relatives
• Ipswich Hospital offers Ward Matron Drop-in sessions to Patients and Carers
• Juliet Shaw, District Nursing Student offers her thoughts on care in the community
• Knitting and other simple skills help patients with dementia feel valued
• 'Suite 101' gives advice on looking after a new baby at home
• Making connections can make patients feel more at home
• Manchester City Council do 'Dignity in Care' with style and energy
• 'Netmums' give advice on 'Making Mums Happy'
• New Cross hospital in Wolverhampton pioneers care for people with dementia
• New York Presbyterian Stanley Morgan Children's hospital offers advice on grief and bereavement
• Newspaper headlines and photos can be a simple way of keeping brain-damaged patients in touch
• NHS Choices offers bereavement support
• Nurses offers advice relevant to all patients but especially the terminally ill
• Patients own books, magazines and toys reduce cross-infection and relieve boredom in waiting rooms
• Perfume makes a real difference
• Personal thoughts from a District Nursing Student following the loss of her father
• Pictures to Share create specialised books with large pictures for people with dementia
• Praising those who 'go the extra mile'
• Pre-packed suitcase saves time and helps to maintain the dignity of an elderly patient
• Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil offers gentle entertainment to patients with cancer
• Questions to ask when choosing a care home- a personal view
• Relatives and Residents Association encourage oral hygiene with 'Keep Smiling' campaign
• Relatives can unintentionally compromise the dignity of their loved ones.
• Royal Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital invite entertainers to amuse and delight the patients
• RS suggests ways of keeping the belongings of a patient more accessible
• Sensible advice on how to improve a hospital experience from someone who has seen it from all sides
• Studer Group in America recalls the five fundamentals of good service and applies them to hospitals
• Shakespeare Hospice Volunteer drivers make a real difference
• Shoes and Slippers that fit correctly are so important for patients in hospital or care homes
• Simple life history in a picture frame helps communication with stroke victim
• Small portions, sensitively served can improve a patient's appetite
• Some practical ideas from a mother caring for her chronically sick child in hospital
• Southampton General hospital 'listening clinic' encourages patients and relatives to air their views
• Suite 101 offer advice on how to help dementia patients through memory books
• Taking time to understand a patient before treatment begins can make an enormous difference
• Tea and coffee machines make communal areas of large residential homes more user-friendly
• The Patient's Association helps patients get the best possible healthcare
• The Queen's Nursing Institute launch campaign Right Nurse, Right Skills
• University Hospital, Coventry's Memory Lane and Forget-me-not Lounge help patients with dementia
• Coffee and tea machines make communal areas in large residential homes more user-friendly
• Visitors are the best entertainment of all!
• Visitors can sometimes be the best people to help support a patient during mealtimes
• Shakespeare Hospice Volunteers
• Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust 'discharge lounges'
• Walsall Manor Hospital Main Entrance includes a restaurant, cafe, shop and cash machine
• Warwick hospital staff brought food from hospital canteen to tempt a frail patient