Q. What is LOROS?
A. LOROS (the Leicestershire and Rutland Organisation for the Relief of Suffering) is a local charity providing care and support within Leicestershire and Rutland.
Q. What is the Leicestershire and Rutland Hospice?
A. The Leicestershire and Rutland Hospice is a specialist centre providing professional care for those who are suffering from a terminal illness when cure is no longer possible.
Q. What is Hospice Care?
A. Hospice Care, sometimes referred to as 'palliative care' is a term which is intended to refer to the medical, nursing and other ways of relieving the distress of patients with advanced incurable diseases, mainly cancer, and of providing support for the patients' families. At LOROS palliative care includes not only drug treatments, but also physiotherapy, occupational, complementary therapy, counselling, social work, day care, family support and spiritual support.
Q. What kind of treatment is available at the Hospice?
A. The staff at LOROS are specially trained in the control of symptoms, including pain.
They care for the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of each individual patient and provide support for the family and friends. This care responds to the needs of the whole family and can be provided whether the patient is in the Hospice or at home.
Q. How are patients referred to LOROS?
A. A patient is referred for Hospice Care by either his/her Hospital Consultant or General Practitioner. A member of the LOROS team will liaise with either or both. This will usually be followed by a personal telephone call from the hospice to the patient and/or his/her relatives.
Whenever possible LOROS endeavours to respond to a referral within forty-eight hours of the request.
Q. Does LOROS only take patients with cancer?
A. Most patients referred to LOROS are in the advanced stages of cancer but LOROS also takes patients with Motor Neurone Disease and other terminal illnesses.
Q. Are patients only referred if they are dying?
A. No - many patients are able to return home after a short stay in the Hospice during which time pain and other distressing symptoms are brought under control. These patients may then be re-admitted at a later date should the need arise.
Q. Do patients of LOROS have to pay?
A. No - the sole criterion for Hospice Care is medical need. LOROS is a local charity. It does receive financial assistance from the Department of Health but relies upon voluntary contributions from the people and organisations of Leicestershire and Rutland for over half of its running costs.
Many people nowadays do have private health insurance and these schemes may contribute towards meeting the cost of a patient's treatment in the hospice. If patients, or their relatives and friends, feel able to make a contribution towards our running costs this is much appreciated.
Q. Is LOROS a religious foundation?
A. No - LOROS has no specific religious affiliation but spiritual care is an important part of the overall support provided. Our concern is to respect the wishes and needs of patients themselves and of their families of whatever faith or of none. Our chaplains are available to give support to patients and their families and to conduct services at their request.
LOROS has chaplains or volunteer Chaplaincy visitors from most of the major faiths.
The chaplains are also pleased to contact leaders of other Christian denominations or of other faiths as patients or the families wish.
Q. Does the Hospice have an educational role?
A. Yes - seminars, lectures and courses are regularly held for nurses, doctors, social workers and for others in the caring professions. The Hospice acts as a specialist resource for professionals and for the wider local community.
Q. Does LOROS do any research?
A. Yes - it both stimulates and conducts research into ways of improving the quality of Hospice Care.
Q. How will the Hospice develop in the future?
A. The main aim of LOROS is to provide a high standard of care utilising the best of modern health care practice. As treatments develop they will be added to the care offered in the Hospice.
LOROS will continue to respond to changing needs, always supporting and working as part of the local community which saw the need for LOROS in the first place.