Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy is available free if you have been referred to Pilgrims. Our qualified specialists will work with you to agree on a package of treatment that is best for you.

You can access these services through our Wellbeing and Social Programme which takes place at our Therapy Centres in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. 

If you cannot come to us, we also offer these therapies wherever you need us in the community including a care home, in hospital, from one of our Pilgrims Outreach Centres or in your own home.

If you are receiving support on a Pilgrims inpatient ward occupational therapy and physiotherapy is available there too.

Our team of Consultants, Doctors and Specialist Nurses will work alongside our therapists to make sure you have the right pain management available too.

Read on for more on these services and how they can help you:

Occupational therapy

Occupational Therapy aims to bring purpose and meaning to a person’s life by promoting independence, choice, dignity and quality of life.

Pilgrims Hospices Occupational Therapists work with patients and those important to them to identify their priorities and goals. Working alongside the rest of the hospice team, our therapists work with people in the hospices, in their own homes and within day services.

Occupational Therapists can look at the impact of illness to:

  • help you find new ways to manage everyday activities
  • give you equipment to help you stay living independently in your own home
  • support you to cope with symptoms such as fatigue or anxiety
  • encourage you to carry on doing the things that are important to you in your life.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists are available at each Pilgrims Hospice during the week or for appointments in the community or your own home.

Physiotherapists can show you techniques to ease pain, help mobility, prevent joint stiffness, enhance relaxation and improve function. This helps you stay as independent as possible and to live as well as possible.

Your individual needs will be assessed and treatments plans are made in agreement with you and your wider medical team, eg GP. This could mean giving you mobility aids, helping you plan for a discharge home following an inpatient stay and ordering specialist equipment for you to use at home.

Pain management

Managing symptoms, including pain, is an important part of your care.

Each person will have different symptoms, depending on your condition and the kind of treatment you may be having. Your doctor and nurses will manage your symptoms and help you to feel as comfortable as possible.

Sometimes you may benefit from a stay at one of our three hospices for symptom control.

Of the people who use our inpatient units, over half will come in for symptom control so they can return home and continue to live independently.

The whole team on our three wards is expertly trained to help achieve the best symptom control for you.

They can give you emotional support at this time if your situation or a change in medication is making it harder to cope. They can also offer you support to make plans for your future care.

How to access Pilgrims services

If you think you may benefit from this support you can talk to your Pilgrims nurse, or if you have yet to be referred the first step is to talk to your GP or Healthcare Professional.