Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is celebrating the success of its popular ‘Hospice at Home’ Service now in its first official year of operation to coincide with Help the Hospices, National Hospice Care Week.
Hospice Care Week takes place from 6 -12 October 2014 with the aim to raise public awareness about the many ways in which hospice care is delivered beyond hospice buildings. Care in people’s homes, local communities, care homes and hospitals are also part of the hospice patient service. This annual week of activity, helps raise the profile of hospice care across the UK.
Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice represents the local Birmingham and Sandwell community and is highlighting its Hospice at Home service as part of the ‘Hospice Care, Everywhere’, theme. The Hospice will hold a week of celebration and action which helps to change people’s perceptions of hospice care.
Hospice at Home cares for over 1000 people and their families a year and looks after not just the patient’s physical needs but emotional and spiritual too. The Hospice at Home team consists of a nurse manager, three registered nurses, and five healthcare assistants experienced with terminal illness.
Trish Squire, Hospice at Home Manager/Clinical Development said: “We are thrilled that the pilot Hospice at Home scheme that started in 2013, is now in its official year of operation. Hospice at Home aims to care for people who are at the final stage of their illness and have expressed a wish to die at home. Sometimes, it is really important that people are in an environment they feel most comfortable with and surrounded by loved ones. We knew there was a demand to provide this service for the local community and the care is very much planned to the individual’s needs. It is really important that we raise awareness that people can be cared for in the familiarity of their own home as well as other places as part of Hospice Care Week.”
