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Think you know what a hospice is?

The word ‘hospice’ can make people feel anxious. Let’s face it; death is probably the last taboo in conversation and few people make plans for it.

But a hospice focuses on the positives: providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness to improve quality of life for them and their loved ones and to help them all look ahead.

 

Far from being places full of death, hospices tend to be full of life!

That surprises people, and there are many misunderstandings around hospice care.
Did you know?:
  • Some people think hospices are just for cancer patients, when we care for people with serious cardiac or respiratory issues, and motor neurone disease. Older patients may have mobility problems, general frailty and dementia.
  • A third of Trinity’s adult in-patients go home again after spending time at the here, and many never set foot in the hospice at all, being cared for by our community nurses and Hospice at Home team
  • We try to ensure that ‘hard to reach’ patients get the palliative care they deserve; people with no permanent address, or with drug or alcohol issues who may not have anyone to advocate for them. Hospice is open to all.
  • Hospice care sits outside the NHS. Although some funding is available, and we often work in partnership with local GPs, hospitals and social care providers, our services rely on voluntary contributions.
Death and dying aren’t things to be hidden away – we have ‘difficult conversations’ and encourage everyone to talk more openly and plan for the future because Dying Matters.

Forget what you see in depressing soap operas; hospices are up-beat, vibrant places. You might even bump into a visiting dog, parrot …or donkey

I was wary of accessing hospice care, I thought hospices were a place people went to die.

Read Dave's story