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Ty Olwen Day Centre is about living with cancer and other life limiting diseases and their treatments, with the best quality of life attainable. With patients with a palliative diagnosis living longer, the Day Centre at Ty Olwen has become more relied on than ever before.
The work at the day centre is carried out by a multidisciplinary team comprising:
· Nurses · Doctors · Physiotherapists · Occupational Therapists · Chaplains· Complementary therapists · Volunteers · Pharmacists
Patients who attend have a wide range of complex needs and can be helped in the following ways:
· Help promote a patients independence and quality of life · Monitoring pain or other physical problems · Providing expertise in helping with a wide range of difficult symptoms · Helping patients and their families access extra information and support · Providing a day of rest for carers
The day centre at Ty Olwen is supported by a team of 27 volunteers who provide their
own very special brand of tender loving care to all patients and relatives that have
cause to use the service.
Volunteer Day Centre Assistants welcome patients, serve lunch and provide
refreshments throughout the day. In addition to these duties they have a unique ability
to put patients at ease, with humour, empathy, a hand to hold and many a hug.
Volunteer, Gaynor Wiliams, commented “Day centre is about the patients sharing
experiences, feelings and learning coping devices from each other”
Sharon Walters, also a day centre volunteer, felt that “When patients attend day centre
staff and volunteers get to know them wel and this enables staff to treat the whole
person not just the symptoms they are experiencing”
A team of dedicated volunteer drivers transport patients into the day centre. Patients
often feel able to share confidences during the time they spend in the car. They will
also mention, in passing, new symptoms or worries at home, which the volunteer will
relate to the nursing team to enable them to get the appropriate assistance.
The Patient View
When asked how she benefited from coming to Ty Olwen Day Centre patient, Veronica Ford responded that it gave her a chance to offload, experience a sense of
relief and feel spoiled and cared for. Patient Mary Horne, felt that it gave the patients
the opportunity to help and support each other, whilst Ruby Elis, also a patient, stated
that atending the day centre had helped her to cope physicaly and emotionaly.