A drive to bring St Elizabeth Hospice’s services even closer to home and reach out to more patients in their communities is under way.
The Hospice has an in-patient, day unit and outpatient clinic at its building in Foxhall Road, Ipswich, but their work is also carried out:
. in the community
. at day care in Beccles Hospital
. in people’s homes,
. via a groundbreaking 24hour support line OneCall, which is available to the general public and health professionals
. and even at care homes in East Suffolk.
As Hospice Care Week continues, St Elizabeth Hospice’s Nurse Consultant Friederike
Englund, explained many people do not realise that patients can access specialist services from home or near their home to help them live life with a progressive illness.
The Hospice at Home team of nurse specialists had been providing reactive care to patients in their own homes and support for their families for more than ten years.
But in recent months there has been a further expansion of the hospice’s work in the community.
This includes the introduction of a new Community Specialist Palliative Care Team, incorporating the Community Macmillan Team, who provide invaluable expertise in supporting patients during their illness. (pictured left)
Mrs Englund (right) said: “Hospice Care Week aims to raise awareness of all our services and dispel some of the myths around hospice care.
“Not all local people realise that we can bring specialist clinical services to the community and patients’ homes.
“We have recently formed our Community Specialist Palliative Care team to ensure we are able to provide clinics and more support in local areas, where there is a need.”
HOSPICE CARE – WHEREVER YOUR HOME
St Elizabeth Hospice is also helping ensure care home residents have access to palliative care through their groundbreaking Care Homes Network.
The hospice has been working with nearly 30 care homes in Suffolk with a resource folder packed with information about caring for patients with advanced progressive illnesses.
Hospice Director of Patient Services Verity Jolly said: ” Giving patients the right to choose is extremely important.
“Although the St Elizabeth Hospice building in Foxhall Road aims to provide a homely, welcoming setting for patients and their families, it is important that people are aware that hospice care is not tied to one place, we also reach out to people’s homes and communities.
“We believe that patients should be able to choose where they access our expertise.”
Click here to find out more about Hospice services.