Babies, children and young people, with serious or terminal conditions, who access Rainbows are able to access a range of therapies. You can find details of each below.

All therapies can be adapted for babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life threatening conditions. Therapies can occur in many different locations and are met at Lark Rise, Hospitals and in the community.

To find out more about our range of therapies, please call 01509 638 000.

  • Physiotherapy

    We offer Physiotherapy to babies, children and young people aged 0-25 (as appropriate). Our babies, children and young people may have a variety of symptoms as a result of their serious or terminal condition and often benefit from Physiotherapy programmes including manual handling reviews and chest clearance programmes.

    Rainbows at Lark Rise, there are two registered Physiotherapists who work across seven days of the week alongside the multi-disciplinary team to support the development and delivery of individual care plans. Our Physiotherapy service can be provided as part of a short break at Rainbows, managing symptoms for end-of-life admissions or as an outpatient.

    Families can access expert advice and support on Physiotherapy as part of the baby, child or young person’s on-going care – this could include positioning, equipment and treatment. We also ensure that all appropriate resources are available and we will liaise with other healthcare professionals involved in the care of the baby, child or young person.

     

    Benefits of Physiotherapy in Palliative Care:

    • Delivery of integrated care through joint working with a child’s lead physiotherapists and wider multi-disciplinary teams
    • Management of the symptoms of the varied conditions of children and young people:
      o Reduces breathing difficulties, for example shortness of breath
      o Alleviates discomfort from stiff joints, spasms and muscle pain
      o Helps prevent development of future problems
      o Helps restore or maintain physical movement and function
      o Aids pain control

  • Hydrotherapy

    The use of warm water has many benefits and is known to be very relaxing whilst helping to ease aching muscles and stiff joints. Pain can be reduced and where movement is limited by weakness, the water helps to support limbs, reducing the effort needed to move. The experience of being in water offers a sense of freedom and relaxation and often enables more movement than on land.

    Our Hydrotherapy pool is carefully regulated and meets national guidelines for water quality and temperature.

     

    Benefits of hydrotherapy

    • Provides different experiences including sensory, relaxation and stimulation
    • Develops play and communication
    • Helps with symptom management
  • Music Therapy

    With a fully furnished music room and a State Registered Music Therapist, we’re able to provide music therapy to help our babies, children, young people and siblings express their emotions and feelings in a therapeutic and supportive setting. Our music room is not only stocked with traditional instruments including drums, guitars and pianos, but it also includes technology to allow any child , whatever their ability, to make music using sensors and motion detectors.

    Our Music Therapist, is passionate about using music as a tactile medium where the vibroacoustics of instruments can be used to stimulate, relax and engage babies, children and young people as part of the session. Music can be a powerful tool in both physical and emotional expression and has a huge role within pain management, physiotherapy and respiratory programmes.

    Our Music Therapist facilitates sessions to happen around the Hospice in the bedrooms, main lounges as well as in the music room. They have even been known to take instruments into the pool for a fully interactive session!

    Music Therapy can also be brought to babies, children and young people at home for some additional support in the community as part of the outreach service. Additionally, our Music Therapist visits the major hospital sites for monthly visits to bring the Rainbows experience to those babies, children and young people on the wards who are known to the our services.

     

  • Complementary Therapy

    Complementary therapies are offered (as appropriate) to babies, children and young people, both in the hospice and as part of Rainbows outreach services – including in the families’ own home, as well as during hospital stays. These therapies can help improve both physical and emotional health by alleviating symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, depression and fatigue; relaxing the mind and body; relieving tension and stress and enhancing general wellbeing. We offer a range of complementary therapies including massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and Indian head massage.

Rainbows is somewhere we can go and enjoy together. He loves swimming and that is incredible. I never thought he would be able to swim. He just loves the pool and I go in sometimes. I have also spent time in the pool alone and had massages.