What We Do
Providing Help After ICU
Support Groups
Although information about intensive care and the recovery journey is a great help, one of the biggest issues faced in recovery is the sense of isolation from anyone who actually understands what survivors have been through, and this isolation just makes recovery harder. Being able to talk with other people who've had similar experiences can go a long way to help survivors come to terms with their own experiences and, in time, even provide support to others and turn negative healthcare experience into a positive.
At our support groups all ICU survivors are welcome. We invite guest speakers to talk and the opportunity for people to meet others and have time to talk about their own experiences should they wish. We arrange specialist group physiotherapy sessions, mindfulness training and facilitated group psychological support.
Education
Critical Care survivors can present in all healthcare settings, at different stages of their critical care recovery. It is therefore extremely important that all health care professionals have some understanding of critical care rehabilitation, the problems that these patients may face and who might need to be involved to support them better.
We use the money raised to fund education for a variety of health professionals to ensure that we are providing high quality rehabilitation both in intensive care and once discharged home.
Psychology Support
Survivors that are suffering from a mental health problem as a result of their critical illness are referred to psychology services within health and community services. However, if patients need urgent or specific therapy we can help fund expedited individualized treatment to ensure there is no delay in their recovery.
Relative Counselling /Support
Having a relative/loved one in Intensive Care is an extremely stressful experience. Critical illness is a family crisis. Feeling worried and confused can cause family members to stop tending to their own health. The care team may ask the family to make decisions about important, sometimes overwhelming matters. Because of this, 30% of family members may experience their own mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and PTSD.
We can provide psychological/counselling support for families of those that have survived a critical illness.
