You both may be feeling excited about meeting the team for the first time, or you may be feeling a little nervous. That’s ok.

We have an amazing, experienced team of registered nurses and health care assistants who can help you to have a break from home, whilst knowing that all nursing and medical needs, whatever they are, will be looked after.

Our equally amazing team of therapists and family support practitioners can help support you, your child, and your family, with therapies, group and individual activities and events.

Our team can help you with any challenges or difficulties you may be having, offer advice and answer your questions. They can also help your child to have fun, meet other children and young people who access Demelza, and enjoy themselves.

Here are some answers to questions that you may have, but if you are still feeling apprehensive or have any other questions at all, drop us an email or give us a call on 01795 845 200.

Your questions answered

No.

Demelza doesn’t look or feel like a hospital but we do have highly experienced and skilled registered nurses and health care assistants, who will look after every aspect of your child's care.

If you've not visited Demelza but would like to have a look around online, you can check out our videos for either Demelza Kent, Demelza South East London, or Demelza East Sussex.

Yes.

Most children and young people stay for a couple of nights at a time, sometimes more.

We also have family rooms available if you would like to stay the night whilst your child is staying at Demelza.

If you or your child don’t want to stay overnight you can come for the day, or we can visit you at home if you prefer.

Yes, we have nine bedrooms in Kent and six in South East London, so there will be other children and young people around when you visit. Some weeks are quieter than others but it’s never crowded.

Kent:

  • Cinema room
  • Sensory room
  • Arts and crafts room & art therapy space
  • Pirate themed outside playground
  • Soft play room
  • Hydro pool
  • Music room
  • Garden facilities 

South East London:

  • Sensory and music room
  • Outside playground
  • Arts and crafts room

East Sussex:

  • Activity Room for arts and crafts, TV, games station, sensory play area, reading
  • Sensory Room and area for 1:1 time for families for board games, colouring, cooking
  • Gardens with outdoor games and activities

Our virtual tour videos can show you our facilities so you can see where you would like to explore first.

We provide day care and overnight short breaks within the hospice, as well as offering day care in the home and the community.

Yes – there are no wards at Demelza.

The bedrooms are lovely and light with bathrooms with jacuzzi baths, toilets and showers.

You will have your own TV and DVD player and you can bring any bits from home if you want to.

If you and your child like to play computer games, we can bring them to you to enjoy. You can also bring along your favourite cuddly toy too.

There will be a nurse or health care assistant looking after your child throughout their stay, who will make sure they can do all the things they enjoy. We will also talk to both of you before your visit, to make your stay the best it can be.

Children and young people may also have the chance to enjoy the facilities at Demelza (subject to availability) which include sensory areas, gaming consoles, art and music therapies. Facilities at Demelza Kent also include an adapted outside play area, a cinema room, hydro pool and soft play.

We completely understand if either of you are worried about coming to Demelza, after all you don’t know us yet.

Give us a call on 01795 845200 and we can have a chat. Ask us anything that is on your mind, no matter how big or small it may seem. We will always be honest with you and do our best to put your mind at ease.

There are also lots of ways that we can support you, so if you don’t feel that coming into a hospice is for you right now, we can look at some of the other areas of our care that may suit you better.