Norfolk hospital introduces comfort boxes to support end-of-life care
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has launched a new initiative to support families during a difficult time
Families spending time with loved ones during the final stages of life at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn are being offered extra support through the introduction of 'Comfort Boxes.'
Funded by the QEHKL Charity, the boxes are designed to create a calmer and more personal space for patients and families during final moments or days together.
Inside each box, includes a mood light and miniature Bluetooth speaker, enabling relatives to play calming or familiar music.
The boxes also contain 'keep sake' items including fingerprint ink and organza bags for locks of hair.
This gives relatives the option to create some final lasting memories, to hold on too.
Katherine Spoelma, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative and End of Life Care, came up with the idea after seeing the impact a calm and comforting environment can have on families in the Peddar's Way Unit.
The Peddar's Way Unit, is a purpose built end of life facility, that the hospital opened in 2014.
The five room building was funded entirely through donations and was created to give patients a more peaceful and dignified environment, away for the usual busy wards.
Unfortunatley not every patient can be cared for in the specialist unit, so Katherine wanted to bring that same environment to the wider hospital.
Katherine Spoelma said that the boxes are designed to support the " emotional, spiritual and physical comfort" of patients and loved ones, whilst also encouraging memory- making.
" They help bring a sense of the peaceful, homely environment of Peddars Way Unit to patients receiving last days of life care elsewhere in the hospital, offering small but meaningful items that personalise the bedside experience."
Interim Chief Nurse, Dawn Collins, described the boxes as a " special touch" that reflects the " kindness and compassion" of the hospitals staff.