Frequently asked Questions (FAQ)
This is our community care FAQ, or frequently asked questions, page.
If you have a question and can’t find the information you need, please get in touch with one of our team.
I need to contact someone about medication or care
Our Contact Us page has a full list of numbers and email addresses, including ones that you can use out of hours.
Can I make choices about my care?
Yes. It’s vital that you are able to tell us about your wishes and have the chance to make choices about your own care. We will always discuss care plans and suggested treatments with you (and your family and friends if you would like). You may wish to make some decisions about your future care and treatments. Making an Advance Care Plan is one way to record these. Download a printable Advance Care Plan.
Do I have to pay for my care?
No. We will never charge you for your care.
What time will you visit me?
We’ll contact you in advance of a visit to decide on a time that works best for everyone.
How can you help me stay independent in my home?
Our team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and therapy technicians will talk with you to understand how your illness affects your ability to do everyday tasks and then work with you to come up with ways to overcome these difficulties. For more information on what our team can do for you, go to: What care will I receive.
How will you get my consent for treatment?
Before any of our team examine or treat you they will ask your permission or consent where you are well enough to give it. If at any stage, you are not able to consent to examination or treatment, we will do what we feel is in your best interests, based on our expertise and anything you have said previously about how you wish to be cared for. We will also take into account the wishes of people important to you.
If you ever feel that your consent has not been sought before examination or treatment, please let a member of the team know straight away.
What is the Living Well Centre?
During Coronavirus, our Living Well Centre has been closed, but we have been running some sessions online. For further details see: Living Well Centre.
In more usual times, our Living Well Centres have been based at our Hospice in Crawley and at The Westway in Caterham. Offering help with symptoms and the opportunity to talk with other people who are in a similar situation, we run a variety of sessions including art groups, meditation, and group exercise. Volunteers have often offered complementary therapies, such as hand massages and nail painting, or occasionally even haircuts.
While we are currently not able to reopen our Living Well Centre, we are running virtual wellbeing sessions for our patients and carers, which provide online support through guided relaxation, music therapy, mindfulness and quizzes.
If you have any questions please call 01293 989087.
How can you help me spiritually and emotionally?
Our Patient and Family Support Team are dedicated to helping you, and those close to you, through this difficult time. For more information on the spiritual, emotional, and financial help they can provide, please go to: What care will I receive.
How can I support St Catherine’s?
By supporting St Catherine’s you can help us be there for more people when life comes full circle. For information on how to donate or fundraise, please visit: Support us.
How do I get access to my medical records?
If you are a St Catherine’s Hospice patient and would like access to your medical records, or copies of hospice correspondence regarding your treatment, please ask a member of our team.
What do I do if I’m not entirely happy?
We want everyone’s experience of St Catherine’s to be a good one. We hope you’ll never have reason to complain but if there’s something you’re not happy with, please tell us so we can try to put matters right. You can find out more about making a complaint by viewing our Complaints Policy.