Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Participants:
Total Raised:
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) is WA's largest cancer
treatment centre and is home to the only comprehensive tertiary
cancer centre, providing multiday, same-day and outpatients cancer
treatments.
Completion of the new, purpose built Cancer Centre stage II in
2012 will allow the hospital to provide ambulatory Radiation
Oncology, Medical Oncology, Haematology, Outpatient Palliative
Care, Solaris Care, Allied Health Supportive Care and Oncology
Pharmacy services in a single, purpose built facility, handling
around 140,000 patient visits each year.
With funds from Dry July, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital plans to
explore options of setting up an art therapy service for patients
to express their feelings through art and providing art supplies
for patients to use, such as canvases, and painting materials.
Alternatively, depending on the funds available, the hospital plans
to further enhance the new cancer centre foyer, which is a very
large and bright open space and would lend itself well to being a
pleasant surrounding for patients and relatives to sit. This area
could be enhanced with comfortable soft furnishings, small tables
with chairs where patients and their carers/families could sit
together and pot plants and fish tanks to soften the surroundings.
If possible, we would also extend this enhancement to include
outside landscaping, adding to the atmosphere and beauty of the
cancer centre and its surrounds.
Patient Testimonials
"The alterations are a pleasure to view. The waiting area
presents a warmer, more welcoming and less clinical feel. The
chairs, carpet and coffee machine all add to a far more pleasant
atmosphere to the clinic where we are generally seated after some
bad news and life-changing diagnoses. The fish tanks also add to
the more inviting atmosphere.
From one patient to the gentlemen who provided the inspiration
- my thanks."
"What a great improvement. I'm a blue baby so I love the
colours and the new chairs are great. Thanks for your
contributions."
"I like it...I like it a lot. Freshens the place up and
keeps the nurses cheerful!!"
Staff Testimonial
"In 2009 and 2010,' Dry July funds allowed us to make
significant improvements to our patients' care environment-without
Dry July funds these improvements could not have occurred due to
budget constraints. Brighter walls, new flooring, and nicer waiting
areas and furniture not only make the patients' lives better, but
also the staffs'.
In 2011 our focus was a bit different; on an inpatient ward,
where we care for patients who require care and management that
can't be provided in a day treatment setting. Ward G73 is already
very special at SCGH, and is affectionately known as the 'Elvis
Ward'. Over the years, staff had collected Elvis memorabilia
throughout the ward, such as clocks and posers, which never fails
to cheer up visitors and patients, as well as the staff." Now we
are nearing completion of an end-of-life room, which allows
patients facing imminent death and their families with somewhere
more private and comfortable to spend their final moments
together.
This year presents a milestone with the planned opening of
stage two of our comprehensive cancer centre. It also gives us the
opportunity to direct Dry July funds into the environment there
including furnishing the large, airy foyer as a comfortable patient
area and try to ensure the landscaping and garden areas provide a
similarly soothing space for patients to be in and look out onto.
If possible we may even have the opportunity to provide art therapy
and art supplies to patients in the cancer centre.
We sincerely thank the amazing effort of the Western
Australian Dry July-ers in their ongoing commitment to improve and
brighten the lives of cancer patients."