Inside St Christopher’s hospice: Gym and art help patients feel ‘more than a list of symptoms’
St Christopher’s hospice is celebrating 50 years. The hospice was founded in 1967 and is widely recognised as the first modern hospice in the UK. Located in Sydenham, it provides care and support to more than 6,000 people across five south east London boroughs (Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark).
Despite its main mission of providing palliative care for terminally ill patients, at St Christopher’s the focus is on life, rather than death. The hospice runs several activities to support in and outpatients, their families and the local community.
To mark its 50th anniversary, The Independent is releasing a six-episode series, highlighting the stories of the people who have been benefiting from the hospice’s services to live a better life.
In the fifth episode, we had a look at a range of services provided by St Christopher’s that are not designed to treat patients’ illnesses, but rather aimed at improving their wellbeing while they undergo medical treatment.
“People are often referred to a hospice because they have a condition that is no longer responding to cure. Some people will have maybe weeks to live and some will have months and possibly years”, said Shaun O’Leary, Joint Chief Executive at St Christopher’s.
For the patients who have a long life expectancy, the hospice offers services, such as gym and rehabilitation, complementary therapies like reflexology, music and art therapies, among others.
By taking part in these activities, patients often improve their wellbeing, which, consequently, has an impact on their response to medical treatments.
“These services enable people to reconnect with what’s important to them, so they can be more than just a list of symptoms”, Mr O’Leary said.
In 2016, St Christopher’s delivered 3,847 rehabilitation sessions. Wumni Oyemade is a regular at those, usually coming to the gym once a week.
“It’s a day out, a day to mingle with other people. When I leave here I feel elevated and that carries me till the next week”, said Mrs Oyemade.
St Christopher's hospice is located in 51-59 Lawrie Park Road, London SE26 6DZ
For more information, visit: http://www.stchristophers.org.uk/
