#douglas house

[noconcessions]

[neueregel]

Douglas House | 3490 South Lake Shore Drive | Harbor Springs | Michigan | Richard Meier | 1973

[conformi]

Choragic Monument of Thrasyllos, Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece, 320-319 BC VS Richard Meier, Douglas House, Harbor Springs | Michigan, USA, 1971-1973

[myhouseidea]

Douglas House is a project designed by RISE Design Studio in 2019, covers an area of 180 m2 and is located in London, United Kingdom. Photography by Edmund Sumner

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The project was designed, in many ways, from the inside out: we took the absolute limits of permitted development rules in terms of what we could achieve in increasing the volumes on Ground and Second Floors and then re-shaped what would have been standard volumes in order to create the spaces from the Client Brief as well as to orientate the views out (from main sliding doors / dormer windows and both Oriel Windows) towards a backland copse, evoking the feeling of not being in London

The volumes of the internal spaces at the rear (both rear extension and dormer) evolved from the iterative process of reviewing the maximum potential (planning policy) and then re- shaping these volumes, framing views and creating key openings (including the frameless glazed envelope between old and new in the Kitchen)

Douglas House by RISE Design Studio Douglas House is a project designed by RISE Design Studio in 2019, covers an area of 180 m2 and is located in London, United Kingdom.

[hn-yjournal]

via @neontalk The timeless Douglas House by Richard Meier. Early 70s

[learningdisabilitynurse]

Douglas Days

Somehow June has arrived and the very real closure of Douglas House is fast approaching. Two months left, two months of caring, of amazing relationships, of laughter - but also, this time two months of goodbyes, apologies and tears - all of which are shared amongst the care team and the families and young adults who benefit from this service.

Back in January when we were told the news that Douglas House would be shutting its doors, and the care team and others of 60 strong would be made redundant, it was devastating, but there was also a faint glimmer of hope that something could be done to prevent this tragedy - but now, that has faded. Families who have another option (which I must say, are not the majority), have been signposted elsewhere,  to begin the long referral process once more and have to build those trusting relationships up from scratch, and those that do not meet the catchment area of a similar service (there are only a few in the country)  are left with nothing. No respite care, no hospice care, none of these staff who have known them so well over the past decade and could continue to deliver care exactly as that person would want it even as they deteriorate. Staff have all had their final dates, known their redundancy packages and some have got jobs elsewhere (a few still within Helen and Douglas House), some are still looking - and nobody wants any of it to be happening.

I guess I’m writing this because I feel the need to say what a privilege it has been the past 7 months to be part of this team, and to work with these young adults. I have never met such a compassionate, caring and experienced care team and I think it’ll take the rest of my career to find another. But also, the young adults who use this service, who have made me laugh and cry and whom in such a short time I’ve managed to form great relationships with (mention that most of our care team have been at Douglas house since the beginning or around 10 years, and have built the strongest relationships in that time with our patients). This job has taught me so so much, especially about the small things that matter in day to day life of somebody who is affected by a progressive debilitating condition. It has bought to my attention so many things to consider every single time I work with a patient, that if it hadn’t been for these experienced carers and our incredible parents and patients, I would never have even thought about.

It takes an extremely special kind of person to have worked at a Young Adults hospice for as long as most of our care team have. Although on a day to day basis things are usually pleasant, fun and uplifting, there is always that underlying knowledge that next time you see that individual they may not be capable of doing the things they can now, the knowledge that a few years ago that person could walk and now they can’t move their arms never mind their legs, or now they are ventilated full time. It’s the knowledge that every day really does count, that an infection could have devastating effects on each and every one of our patients, that this time they may seem ok, but it could also be the last time. Our care team have lost so many people over the time Douglas House has been open, and they have given the most dignified deaths, but each person gets etched into a memory, and they don’t fade. That’s why I think my care team are utterly incredible, it maybe a fun job on a day to day basis but it has a huge emotional toll, and now the constant goodbyes are even harder to take, and our carers are to used to putting others first that I think many of them are actually doing so now, despite it being detrimental to themselves.

Douglas House is a lifeline for our young adults who just need a break from the routine of having to do everything at certain times because that’s when their home carers work, or that is when fits in with their families lives, to not being able to go out and do normal things for their age - at Douglas House they can, they can stay in bed late if they want, stay up late if they want, go shopping and to the pub or cinema or on trips when they want, and not have to fit their meals/ toilet times/ activities into the convenience of their carers etc. They get to meet people with similar (and vastly different equally permanent) conditions, and just feel normal. It’s a holiday where most of them can’t go anywhere else for a break because of all the medical equipment they need.

Douglas House is a lifeline for the families of our guests, who don’t often get a break at home, often they are the 2nd carer needed for all turns/changing/hoisting or any manual handling (because there isn’t enough money for decent care packages anymore), they spend all of their days arranging appointments, ordering medications and feeds and arranging service checks for equipment, and always having that undercurrent of worry. They are often people who expected their child/sibling to die a long time ago, adjusted their life expectations to that and dedicated every moment to their child - but due to the medical miracles that many of our guests are - are still doing that now, when their child is now an adult. They’ve experienced the emotions of near-death over and over, been through surgeries, diagnosis, the progression of diseases and their child/sibling losing functions they previously had, and adjusting, constantly adjusting. When their family member is with us at Douglas House, they get a break. Time to just be themselves, to see friends, to go abroad- but often, time to finally get some rest that they really truly need. 

However, Douglas House isn’t just the spectacular service provided, it’s also the memories held within that building. For our young adults, it’s not just the trips they have been out on, and the activities and games nights and parties and quizzes - often it’s memories of serious conversations they have had to have, of friendships they have made - or more potently, of friends they have lost. Douglas house is often they last place they have seen these friends, whom they have formed such an immense bond with, before they have passed away. Our young adults don’t just experience the hardship of what they are going through, but also great loss of spectacular friends, and this environment housed so many of those happy memories.

It is the same for families, memories of their child or sibling being happy, being cared for by people who adored them and met their needs, getting to be an adult and seeing them bloom into the person their condition often stops them being. Memories of them actually getting some rest, of being catered for, of being able to have a meal at the dining table with their child or young person whilst somebody else feeds them - so for once they can actually eat at the same time. Douglas house has given young adults their last big wishes - a wedding was even hosted there once for a couple in their last few days together! Many families also have memories of their child in our Starfish room after they have passed away, seeing them without all of their equipment, at peace, but also knowing their journey has come to an end. The last memories, the last breaths of their children taken inside that building.

It’s not just a service that’s so special, it’s everything that has happened within those walls since 2004 when Douglas House opened as the world’s first young adults hospice.

There is so much more I can say, but this post seems to have gone on forever as it is so I’ll leave it there.

Douglas House is irreplaceable, it is a damn shame, but it’s also the hugest privilege to have had the chance to work here with these incredible people for the past 7 months and the next 2 months. I will always be grateful.

(Excuse any typos, not had time to re-read yet)

[escapingreality51]

I wouldn’t normally share something like this, but this is something that lies close to my heart. 

My brother was staying at Douglas House when he passed in July 2016, and the staff there showed my family such immense kindness and helped my family through a very painful time in any way they could. Douglas House provides specialised palliative care to young adults and now are forced to reduce operations due to funding cuts. 

If you have a spare minute, please consider signing this petition.  It would mean a lot to me if you did. 

[ameliebsa-blog]

Dissimulé.

Richard Meier, Douglas House, 1973