Since 1994 Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People has opened its doors and hearts to youngsters affected by life-limiting conditions.
The charity, based in Loughborough, is the East Midlands’ only hospice, which provides specialist respite, palliative and end of life care to children and young people.
Their services provide end of life care, symptom management, short breaks and respite care, as well as support for parents and siblings through their bereavements.
The hospice has 14 beds and aims to provide 1:1 care wherever possible on a needs led basis. They are a nurse-led unit with support from a team of doctors with expertise in children’s palliative and end of life care and symptom management.
The Randal Charitable Foundation has supported Rainbow’s in 2019 and 2020 by providing funding for sensory activities
for the children and young people being cared for at the hospice.
As Chartered Physiotherapists, Rainbows have provided a holistic, person-centred approach to the care they deliver to all of the babies, children, young people and families. their position within the wider multidisciplinary team has allowed them to make a valuable contribution to the quality of life of each individual, including during the final stages of their palliative care journey as they approach death.
The role and remit of a Palliative Physiotherapist takes many forms, requiring a flexible, adaptive holistic approach. They have supported the management of pain and a range of distressing symptoms, as well as helping to avoid secondary complications associated with life-limiting and palliative illnesses.
The ability to be a resource for the provision of specialist palliative physiotherapy advice and education to others, including the children and young people that they have seen, their families and other member of the multidisciplinary teams at Rainbows, has helped to ensure that important physiotherapy is incorporated into each individual’s day to day care.
In particular the charity provides advice on:
• Positioning to help support an individuals’ comfort
• Specialist respiratory care to enable individuals to breathe with greater ease
• Optimal moving and handling
• Promotion of independence
• Encouragement with engagement with functional activities
This Hospice was founded by Gail and Harry Moore, in celebration of their daughter, Laura, who had died of Leukaemia in 1989.
Rainbows was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in April 1995. It was named Rainbows because Laura saw a beautiful and complete rainbow shortly after the family had been told she had just a few weeks to live. They saw the rainbow as a symbol of hope, even in her passing.
