Support for Families & Carers | Keech Hospice

Support for Families & Carers | Keech Hospice
Our care and support
Patient, family and carer support
Patient, family and carer support
Working alongside our specialist nursing care we offer our patients families and loved ones a range of services to support physically, emotionally and psychologically.
All our services are FREE and support will be designed to meet your individual needs.
We are here for you
We understand loving and caring for someone with a life-limiting illness can be difficult at times, so we are here to support you.
We offer a range of free services to provide you with valuable support and guidance.
Download our support for carers guide
For us, Keech is a lifeline. It’s not just the care, it’s the community and moments that mean everything.
When Breanna’s mum reached out through a self-referral, we were able to put in place the support the family needed.
Read Breanna's story
Our services
Patient and family support
Our team, offer emotional support to you and your family, including children, helping you cope better with your situation and feel more prepared.
Post-bereavement, we continue to support your family, giving you the opportunity to share feelings and talk about your loss
Family support can be given at the hospice, at home or, for children and young people, at school. You can access it either through one-to-one sessions or by attending on of our support groups
Grief Group
: A six-session programme for adults, followed by monthly drop-in gatherings for continued support.
Dads Cry Too (DC2)
: A monthly group specifically for fathers who have lost a child, offering a compassionate space to connect with others.
MUM
(Mums Understanding Mums): A group for mothers grieving the loss of a child of any age.
Sparklers
: A monthly support group for children aged 5 to 18, offering a safe, creative space to explore feelings, share memories, and connect through activities and play.
Carers groups
: Our social work team can support carers on a one-to-one basis or through one of our 6 different carers groups, held regularly at a range of locations. This includes parent / carer coffee mornings, carers walking group and a bereaved carers group held offsite.
Spiritual Work
Our Chaplin leads a multi-faith spiritual care volunteer team, who are there to offer prayer and support to families and their loved ones.
Music and art therapy
Music and art therapy can help to express feelings and communicate issues that may be difficult or confusing, or are hard to put into words.
Working with a fully trained therapist these therapies can help to:
Think about loss
Explore experiences and change
Be creative
Improve your ability to cope
Increase feelings of wellbeing
You don’t need to play an instrument or be good at art to take part.
Complementary therapies
We can offer family members directly involved in a patients care a range of physical therapies including massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and reiki. We also offer non-physical support through mindfulness training and relaxation techniques.
All support is tailored to your needs following an assessment and is provide by a team of registered therapists.
Hydrotherapy Pool
Our hydrotherapy pool at our site in Luton is very different to an ordinary swimming pool.
Carefully designed to cater for the needs of people of all ages and disabilities. It has hoists, ramps and disabled changing rooms to ensure access for all.
Heated to a constant 35 degrees it features special sensory stimulation equipment including underwater lights and music as well as water fountains. The pool is manned at all times by a senior lifeguard.
Using the pool can help:
Relive anxiety and stress
Create memories for you and your family
Support patients to relieve muscle pain, inflammation and poor circulation
Social work
Our social work team support patients, carers and families across our whole service, offering social, emotional and practical support.
The team offers a wide range of advice and support including sourcing practical help at home, advice around finances, benefits and grants, help with housing, advocacy, working with schools or employers, and offering general psychosocial support.
The team work with a wide range of professionals within social services and health services to advocate for our patients.
Alongside our clinical colleagues, the team undertake work around helping people to prepare for the end of their lives through, memory making, advance care planning including creating legal documents such as Lasting Power of Attorney, Will writing and providing practical information regarding funerals and bereavement processes.
Social workers also support patients discharged from our inpatient units to go home, or to an alternative care placement, with on-going care and support, liaising with local authorities and care boards to secure the appropriate source of funding.
The team underpins safeguarding at Keech Hospice, as ensuring the health and welfare of those using our services is paramount.
Children’s Play and activity services
Our play and activity services provide specialist play and educational services for children, at home, virtually or within our purpose-built day area.
For children under 5 our Tots ‘n’ Toys group, is a great social ‘stay and play’ session for all the family.
Tots ‘n’ Toys provides families with
Specialist palliative care support
An opportunity to interact with other families
A safe, stimulating and supported environment for your child to play.
The service is facilitated by a play specialist, palliative care nurse and a health care assistant.
Compassionate Neighbours befriending service in Luton
Compassionate Neighbours are a network of people who offer their time, companionship, and support to people living in their local area. Compassionate Neighbours help others by:
Offering companionship, emotional and practical support and a listening ear
Helping you to stay connected to your friends and the community
Directing you to important support services
Find out more
Looking for support for you or a loved one
If you or a loved one have a life-limiting condition, we are here to offer you FREE medical, physical, practical and emotional care and support. We would love to hear from you.
Call Us
Speak to the Bedford Palliative Care Service team. Call 111 and press option 4.
Refer yourself or a loved one
Just complete a simple referral form and our team will be in touch to discuss how we can support you.
Make a referral
Speak with your care provider
Talk with your care provider to discuss a possible referral to Keech Hospice.
Practical resources
Serious illness and ageing bring challenges many of us prefer to avoid thinking about.
To support you to grow your understanding and prepare for what may come at the end of this life, we have a number of practical resources and workshops you may find helpful.
Guide – what to do when someone dies
Our guide contains practical information about what to do after a death and details the support Keech Hospice can offer to you.
Compassionate communities workshops
We have a range of FREE workshops designed to dispel myths about dying and bereavement and to provide practical support to our communities.
Find out more
FREE will making service
To support you and provide that piece of mind, we have partnered with Octopus Legacy to provide a FREE Will service to guide you through the process step by step.
Find out more
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