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Issue 31
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| December 2022
|
Making today matter for Ben
Living Well Hub turns 1!
By Heather Hardie, Living Well Team Manager
By Stacey Kelly, Specialist Palliative Care Nurse
stand out - Ben is an avid Kilmarnock FC fan proudly showing off the Kilmarnock strip on my first visit. “He was very keen to take his 3-year-old brother Hunter to his first Kilmarnock game. Seeing Ben’s enthusiasm, I knew we had to somehow make this happen. Thanks to the team at Kilmarnock FC we were able to arrange for Ben, Hunter, and his parents to attend their game against Partick Thistle where they were treated to the full VIP treatment and truly made special memories for Ben and Hunter.” Ben was given his chance to lift the Scottish League Cup, Scottish Cup, and the Scottish Championship trophy and spend time with former player and captain Ray Montgomerie before the game. After the game, Alan Power and current captain Chris Stokes spent some time with Ben and his family.
The Ayrshire Hospice Living Well Hub celebrated its first birthday and it was a year filled with discussions, laughter, skill-building, and camaraderie.
Ayrshire Hospice works to make today matter for its patients and their families. This could be hosting an afternoon tea in the Hospice or a takeaway and a movie night for the family to enjoy. However, in the summer it was a request from one patient to take his youngest brother to his first football game.
If you or someone you care for is affected by a life-limiting illness, the Hub is a place where like- minded people can come together in a relaxed and friendly environment. The first half hour of the two- hour session is dedicated to discussing topics that inform, enable and empower people
to take part in an activity such as art, music, tai chi, or complementary therapy. Speaking about the Living Well Hub, one attendee said: "They explained the help which they can provide, allowing me to relax with the many problems in which I believed I was on my own, and could not get anyone to listen." Another attendee reported that she had found benefit in the art sessions, saying it was the first time in as long as she could remember that she
had not thought about her cancer for a full 30 minutes. If you feel the Living Well Hub may be a place that can help you, find out more about the programme and self-refer on the website (QR code above). The sessions run: Mondays in East Ayrshire Community Day Hospital from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Tuesday mornings (10:30 -12:30) and Wednesday afternoons (14:00 – 16:00) in CentreStage, Kilmarnock.
Ben Montgomery was a massive Kilmarnock fan who wanted to take his brother along to Rugby Park and cheer on their heroes together for the first time. Ben’s Specialist Palliative Care Nurse, Stacey Kelly visited the Montgomery family at the beginning of the summer to support them as best as possible.
Stacey explained: “Ben, 20 years old, was diagnosed with Leukaemia in the summer of 2021 and he underwent treatment at the Beatson Teenage Cancer Trust Unit in Glasgow. Unfortunately, in June this year Ben’s disease relapsed and there were no curative forms of treatment available to him. “He was discharged home from the Beatson at the end of June and referred to the Ayrshire Hospice Community Specialist Palliative Care Team for support to him and his family. When I first met Ben he didn’t have many goals other than to spend time with family and get back out to the local fishery. But one goal in particular did
to live well with illness. People are welcome to
come for the whole session, the topic discussion on its own, or just for a cuppa and chat with the opportunity
Supporting staff development
By Chris Rodden, Director of Patient and Family Services
Two of the Hospice’s amazing Care Assistants have started their journey to become registered nurses. Carly Gemmell is
Both Carly and Mirranne continue to work within the In-Patient Unit and are being supported by the team on their study journey. It’s exciting times ahead and well done to both for successfully gaining a place on these courses!
undertaking her pre- registration nursing
training at the University for the West of Scotland and Mirranne Murphy is undertaking her studies with the Open University.
Miranne and Carly
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