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Bournemouth services
- Critical Care Unit
Supporting Information
National Support Groups
The ICS is the organisation that represents medical healthcare professionals working in the field of critical care in the United Kingdom. The website has a patient and relatives’ area, information regarding meetings, guidelines and links to related critical care sites.
The Health Talk on line project is supported by the NHS and seeks to describe the patient experience using semi-structured interviews. The experiences of people who have experienced critical illness are available on the site.
The Steps to Wellbeing Service is a free, confidential, NHS service for to people aged 18+. Providing a service across the county of Dorset and in Southampton for people registered at either a Dorset or Southampton GP surgery.
Offering a range of treatments for people experiencing problems with low mood/depression, anxiety, stress, or other common mental health problems.
It is a self-referral service which means you can directly access the services. Referrals are also accepted from GPs and other healthcare professionals.
Lifestyle Changes
Smoking:
If you smoked before your illness now is an ideal time to give up. If you stopped smoking while you were in hospital keep going now you are home.
For patients who have been seriously ill in critical care it is important that they stop smoking. This is because the lungs are affected by the illness and can be damaged. People normally have a considerable amount of spare lung capacity so they do not notice the damage but it is important that you do not continue to damage your lungs after your illness by smoking and allow your lungs to recover.
There is lots of support available to you if you decide to stop smoking.
For free support, expert advice & tools including the Quit Kit to help you stop smoking call for free advice.
Free phone 0800 022 4332
Dorset Smoke Stop Service | Dorset FID
Dorset Smoke Stop service offers friendly advice, information, and support to anyone who wants to stop smoking.
Live Well Dorset is a free service for adults living in Bournemouth, Poole: help you to stop smoking, increase your physical activity etc.
This site provides straightforward advice about drugs for young people.
Free phone 0800 77 66 00
Turning Point addresses the individual needs of people with substance misuse, mental health and learning disability. It is a leading social care organisation across England and Wales.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Telephone 01202 296000 (Local Helpline) or 0800 9177 650 (National Helpline)
For friends and relatives of people with alcohol dependency.
drinkaware.co.uk
Local Support Services
Patient Advise Liaison Service (PALS) provide:
Advice and support for patients, their families, and carers.
Information on NHS services to help you make choices.
Listening to your questions, suggestions, concerns, and complaints
Help sort out problems quickly on your behalf.
Poole Hospital PALS
Opening Hours: 9.30am - 4pm Monday – Friday
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Longfleet Road
Poole BH15 2JB
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 01202 448499 0300 019 8499
Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospital PALS
Opening Hours: 9.30am - 4pm Monday – Friday
Age UK promotes the well-being of all older people and to help make later life a fulfilling experience. Available for advice on benefits, day centres, group activities, gentle exercise and bereavement services
For older people in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch
Age Concern Poole | Advice Dorset
www.advicedorset.org.uk/services/age-concern-poole
Information on any aspect of concern for older people
Meal Delivery
Wiltshire Farm Foods
01202 490400
Social Services:
- Poole - 01202 633902
- Bournemouth - 01202 454979 (Care Direct)
- Christchurch - 01202 474106
- Ferndown - 01202 877445
- Purbeck - 01929 553456
- For all out of hours emergencies call: Social Services - 01202 657279
Pendant Alarms - provide an emergency contact system for people living at home.
- Poole Lifeline - 01202 733255
- Bournemouth Care-line - 01202 452795
- ASTER (rest of Dorset) - 0845 6014322
British Red Cross - short term wheelchair and mobility aid loan
- Poole - 01202 699453 (Monday – Thursday 10am – 1pm, Fri to 3pm)
- Dorchester - 01305 215955
- Bournemouth
Provides free information and advice to help people resolve their legal, financial, and other issues.
- Poole - 01202 0344 111 444
- Bournemouth - 01202 290967
- Ferndown - 01202 893838
- Purbeck/Dorchester - 0344 245 1291
- Christchurch/Wimborne - 03442451291
UK charity supporting and empowering people living with a stoma. 24-hour helpline and information.
Expert advice on depression and anxiety treatments.
Information about diabetes, lifestyle advice and support networks
British Guillain-Barre Syndrome support group
Helpline: 0800 374803
The brain injury association aim to improve life after brain injury, find support for living with a brain injury
Free helpline:0808 800 2244
Information and support including physical, emotional, financial, and practical support as well as access to communities.
Located at Christchurch Hospital is a Specialist Palliative Care Unit and Hospice for patients in South East Dorset and South West Hampshire. The charity, Macmillan Caring Locally, works in partnership with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust to provide the services at the Macmillan Unit and in our community.
Information about Sepsis, legal advice, and access to support
Benefits Helpline – provision of information and advice on claiming benefits
- Carer’s Allowance (enquiries) - 0800 731 0297
- Attendance Allowance - 0800 731 0122
Free ‘Home Safe and Well’ visit in your home
Tel: 08000 382323
Sports and Leisure Facilities:
Everyone Active Leisure Centre – Poole
Kingsland Road
Poole BH15 1TN
Tel 01202 677217
Everyone Acvtice Leisure Centre – Rossmore
Herbert Avenue
Parkstone
Poole BH12 4NR
01202 738787
Everyone Active Leisure Centre – Ashdown
Adastral Road
Canford Heath
Poole BH17 8RE
01202 604224
Littledown Centre- Leisure Centre Bournemouth
Littledown
Chaseshide
Bournemouth BH7 7DX
01202 055500
www.everyoneactive.com/activity/exercise-referral
The Exercise referral scheme covers a wide range of health conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, overweight or obesity.
Queen Elizabeth Centre – Wimborne:
QE Leisure Centre, Blandford Road, Wimborne BH214DT
01202 888208
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Poole Park Bowling Club, Poole, Dorset. A friendly and active bowls club in the heart of Poole
01202739073
Broadstone Bowling Club - Poole, Dorset - Broadstone Bowling Green
www.broadstonebowlingclub.co.uk
Broadstone Bowling Club located in Broadstone, Poole, Dorset welcomes new members and touring clubs.
01202659009
Barrack Road, Christchurch, BH23 2BA
07757 929008
Seafield Gardens
Guildhill Road
Southbourne
Bournemouth, BH6 3EX
01202 427522
Poole Healthy Walks | Walking for Health
https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder/poole-healthy-walks
Several different walks are on offer across the Borough of Poole. Walks are run from numerous locations and graded accordingly.
You can also search for walks in your area by postcode:
https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder
Pulmonary Rehabilitation:
If you have a long-standing breathing condition it may be beneficial to be referred to a pulmonary rehabilitation programme. This is a series of group classes which include exercises and education on breathlessness management.
Your ward therapist or GP can refer you to the service and classes are located across Poole and Bournemouth locality.
Breathe Easy support groups | British Lung Foundation
www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/breathe-easy
Information, support, and online networks for those living with heart conditions.
References
- Critical Care Rehabilitation Manual – The road to recovery Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2009) Rehabilitation after Critical Illness, [online] Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/cg83
- Whiston Hospital Intensive Care Unit, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals
- Physiotherapy and Recovery from Intensive Care – Physiotherapy Steps supplementary Booklet
- Physiotools online
Contact details
Critical Care Department, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
01202 448590
For further general health-related information, please ask the relevant department for information or contact:
The Health Information Centre
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Longfleet Road
Poole
Dorset
BH15 2JB
Telephone: 01202 448003
Return to Work/Driving
Return to driving
Even if you did not previously have a medical condition or disability that affected your ability to drive, several common Critical Care related issues may affect your confidence or ability to drive. These include ongoing weakness in the arms and legs, poor concentration, or visual impairments. You may have new medications which might affect your ability to drive.
Speak to your GP or check with the DVLA if you are not sure whether you should be driving.
Return to work
It may take a considerable time before you are ready to return to work. Your GP will be able to advise you further once you are at home. If your place of work has an Occupational Health department then it would be a good idea to talk to them and gain further advice about a return-to-work scheme after long term or critical illness.
Changes
Changes in Mood and Mental Health
Recovery after critical illness can be worrying and stressful for you and your family. It is likely you will feel emotions that are different to how you would normally feel day to day before you were critically ill. You may feel stressed, anxious, irritable, or low in mood. You may also find your mood varies from day to day. Some days you may feel very motivated and happy and other days, you may find yourself feeling less positive, tearful, or worried. This is okay and is very normal following critical illness. You will have been through a lot, and changes in mood and mental health are ways of your body adjusting to your recovery and understanding what has happened to you. It is important to talk about how you are feeling with your family or whoever is caring for you so they can understand how you are feeling.
Changes in mood and mental health effect people for different lengths of time but as time goes on, you should start to feel better. Your mood may impact your appetite, sleep, physical rehabilitation, or family relationships – advice in these sections of this booklet may be helpful. If you have been ill for a long time, you may feel lower in mood or depressed for a period. Sometimes it may feel like progress is slow or that you are not getting better but if at the end of each week you can look back and say things have got better than the week before, you are making good progress.
It is important to be realistic about the goals you are setting yourself and to avoid putting too much pressure on yourself. Things will not always be easy, and you are likely to experience setbacks at times but that is okay and is normal when you are recovering from critical illness. Setting realistic targets may help you to build your confidence. Ask your therapist, nurse, or doctor to assist you in working out what is reasonable for you to achieve. Involving family and friends in goal setting can also be helpful as they can help you to monitor your progress and support you when you are at home.
If you feel you are not making progress or that your mood has become a problem for you, please contact your GP or one of the other self-help groups listed on the back of this booklet.
Changes in appearance and voice
You may notice the following changes because of being critical ill:
- Skin dryness
- Loss of weight
- Hair loss
Dieticians, Speech and Language therapists will work with you whilst you are in hospital. Using moisturisers daily and speaking with your hairdresser can help with dry skin and how best to manage and improve the condition of your hair. Your GP will also be able to help once you are home.
Family and relationships
Your friends and family will be happy to see you are getting better, but they may still be overprotective of you. They may also struggle to understand why your interests and hobbies have changed. Your critical illness will have been a worrying and stressful time for them as well. Talking through your experiences and sharing your concerns with each other can be a very good way of managing your relationships and understanding one another.
When recovering from a critical illness, it is common to have some anxiety about sex. You may have a reduced sex drive or be concerned that sex will be harmful for you. As with other forms of exercise, you will need to pace yourself and only do as much as you feel comfortable with. Talking with your sexual partner about your concerns can help to make you both feel more relaxed about having sex.
A small number of people may have developed a medical problem during their admission such as impotence, if you are worried talk to your GP. For information on breathlessness and sex please visit the British Lung Foundation’s website found towards the back of the booklet.
Nutrition
It is likely that you were fed through a tube in your nose to your stomach or via a vein while you were critically unwell. This is because you require nutrition to help you get better. You may have been too unwell to eat or drink for yourself or you may have been sedated. You will start to take food and drink normally by mouth as soon as you are well enough to.
After being unwell and having this feeding tube it is common for you to lose your appetite or for your taste buds to have changed. Many people find food tastes sweeter or saltier than normal. It should return to normal within a few weeks, during this time focus on eating foods that you enjoy. If you have a smaller appetite, eating little but more often may be a useful way to ensure you meet your daily dietary needs. Try having smaller meals with nourishing snacks in between. As your appetite returns, try to slowly build up your meal size and reduce your snacks throughout the day. Eating will be more enjoyable if you take your time, avoid heavy food, and relax after a meal to help with digestion.
If your smaller appetite has been highlighted on the ward and you or the medical team are concerned you are not meeting your full nutritional needs, you will be referred to a Dietician.
Taking strong antibiotics and steroids can sometimes lead to infections, such as oral thrush. Oral thrush can give you a thick white substance on the roof of your mouth and tongue, making it painful to swallow. If you think you might have thrush, your GP will be able to treat it easily.
If you are having problems with eating, drinking, oral thrush, returning to your normal weight, severe indigestion or persistent abnormal bowel movements please discuss this with your GP for further advice or onwards referrals.
