This service is provided in partnership with the MS Society. It was first pilotted several years ago following a study of patient needs and a grant from the St James Place Foundation.
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The County Durham and Darlington NHS, Durham Dales locality is a very large rural area which suffers a much higher than average occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
Although studies are ongoing to explain the causes of the occurance of clusters of sufferers in areas of the country as yet there is no conclusive evidence to explain this phenomenon.
The Butterwick MS Mobile Aromatherapy Service provides a qualified and experienced aromatherapist who provides treatments to MS patients in their own homes across the County Durham and Darlington PCT, Durham Dales and Darlington localities.
The aromatherapist also provides training for the patient's carer. With these skills and ongoing support, such as advice and the supply of high quality oils, the carer and therapist together create an effective and sustainable improvement in the care of MS patients in the community..jpg)
This innovative response to the needs of MS sufferers across the area has shown measurable improvement in the patients' feelings of wellbeing and improvements in the relationships between carers and patients.
It has also presented opportunities for Butterwick staff to build good working relationships with other community care providers and our specialist colleagues in the NHS. The development of mobile care for MS patients has also enabled Butterwick to lead the way in service development in the field of palliative care for non cancer patients.
Following this project's development and success our Neurological Day Hospices have evolved and grown in response to patient needs.
For more information about the use of complementary therapies in the care of MS patients you can download our leaflet.
For more information about this and our other Neurological based palliative care services please contact Paula Wood, the Registered Manager, at Butterwick Hospice in Bishop Auckland on Tel: 01642 603003 or email: paulawood@butterwick.org.uk
