Fundraising appeal to help bring vital hospice care into the home
THE East Cheshire Hospice is appealing for donations to help it expand its service into the community.
The hospice, based on Millbank Drive, provides palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses.
The new East Cheshire Hospice @Home service – which needs £40,000 to set up – will provide hands on medical care symptom management and end of life care in patients’ homes.
It is hoped this service will enable patients to be more comfortable and reduce pressure on the hospital.
An appeal is now underway to cover start-up costs, which includes funding mobile nursing stations equipped with essential medical supplies. The hospice is recruiting eight nurses and eight healthcare assistants, with a view to launch the scheme in October.
Sarah Dale, East Cheshire Hospice @Home Co-ordinator, said: “The focus will be on supporting the individual needs, choices and preferences of patients in relation to palliative care.
“We’ll cover the two thirds of the week when there isn’t currently such support for those who need to access the service quickly. We’ll help co-ordinate care, ease the burden and hopefully make a real difference.”
The service, which aims to support 250 patients in its first year, will be available from 6.30pm to 8am weekdays and throughout the weekend, when other healthcare services are most stretched.
Hospice @Home will have a one-hour response time for urgent needs following a referral from a health care professional.
Sarah added: “Most people would like to end their days in the comfort of their own home, but in Cheshire East some 42 per cent of patients at end-of-life will die in a busy hospital often due to a lack of community resources. We aim to bring high-quality care and expertise to the patient where they feel at home and hopefully reduce costly hospital stays.”
To donate to go eastcheshirehospice.org. uk/athome