Hospice Homecare continuing to provide services
WEXFORD Hospice Homecare is continuing to provide its range of services to people across the county albeit in adherence with guidelines laid down by the health authorities and the Government.
The Chairperson of the organisation, Gary Morris, spoke to this newspaper to outline how the onset of Covid-19 has impacted on the hospice and how everyone involved is ensuring that provision of services continue as normal.
‘So many organisations and businesses have adapted and changed the way they are doing things and many businesses are going virtual,’ he said.
‘I have a feeling it will change the way many businesses go about their work in future especially with regard to meetings because I feel there will be more virtual meetings going forward,’ he added.
With regard to Wexford Hospice
Homecare he said some work practices have obviously changed as efforts are intensified to keep staff and clients safe.
‘We have changed some of our work practices but we are still providing our homecare services,’ he said.
‘All our nurses are working from home,’ he added.
Meetings are also being held by phone rather than in the office
to ensure the well-being of everyone concerned.
Mr Morris said that in addition to their own welfare and the welfare of clients nurses and staff are also mindful of their own families and everyone has to work together to ensure the safety of everyone.
‘There families have to be kept safe as well,’ said Mr Morris.
The only person going into the office at present is the nurse manager and Mr Morris said the Board of Management with the organisation made a decision to defer meetings for the short-term.
‘Our service is such that a person has to be referred from their doctor,’ he said.
‘It’s not a walk-in service so it’s different to some other services that way,’ he added.
‘Our clients are all clinically referred and our services are still being provided.’
Obviously, the clients of the hospice are among the people most at risk in terms of Covid-19.
He highlighted that while it’s difficult enough to face the challenge of a terminal illness if someone is in such a position the risk posed to them if they catch the virus is obviously much higher.
Last year’s Hope & Dream event raised a massive €180,190 which was divided between Wexford Hospice Homecare and the Hope Centre in Enniscorthy.
Obviously, having that event postponed because of the coronavirus has had a massive financial impact on both organisations.
However, Mr Morris said that every
WE HAVE CHANGED SOME OF OUR WORK PRACTICES BUT WE ARE STILL PROVIDING OUR HOMECARE SERVICES
one is hopeful the event will go ahead on the rescheduled date in October but whether that happens or not, in the interim, it’s business as usual for the hospice, in unusual circumstances.