Health care charity supports patients in the community

A local charity has bought baby monitors and memory boxes to support patients being nursed in the community.

The Health Tree Foundation (HTF), the official charity for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, has bought 10 baby monitors and 20 memory boxes.

The charity has a fund called ‘In Your Community’ which is specifically for the benefit of patients being nursed in the community.   

Team co-ordinator for the community health care team Kim Walton said: “We use the monitors to loan out to our patients and their families. Quite often our patients are nursed downstairs in their own homes because they can’t make it up the stairs.

“The monitors allow the families to keep an eye of them from upstairs or in a different room. It is such a simple thing but it can be the difference between a patient staying in their own home or going into hospital or care.”

The memory boxes have been purchased for the children of palliative care patients. These patients are at the end of their life and the boxes enable their children to put things into the box to remember their parent in the future.

End of life lead nurse Wendy Swan said: “We’re really pleased to have been able to purchase these memory boxes for our patients’ children. Luckily we haven’t used one yet but we know they will be a big comfort to both our patients and the children.”

Health Tree Foundation community champion Hayley Thompson said: “We’re really pleased to have been able to provide these additional items to the community health care teams. We know how difficult it can be to care for your relatives at home so if these items make a difference then we are delighted to have been able to help.”