As the festive season approaches, Rowcroft’s dedicated nurses and care teams will be continuing to work around the clock, day in day out, caring for people across South Devon and helping to make every day the best day possible.
For patients experiencing their last Christmas, our nurses and healthcare assistants will be working to ensure it’s the best it can possibly be, as Senior Nurse for Hospice at Home, Claire Redhead, explains. “For many of us, Christmas is such a special time of year,” says Claire. “But for those experiencing their very last Christmas, this time with their loved ones is even more precious.
“Christmas is often a time for getting together to give and receive; it’s about showing our love and appreciation for each other. Through our Hospice at Home service that cares for patients in their last two weeks of life at home, we’re able to help families experience that togetherness and loving support during such a crucial time, and in this way we help to bring much-needed comfort to patients and their families, despite very difficult circumstances.
“This December, as a nurse working for Hospice at Home, I’ll be helping patients to make their last Christmas as good as it possibly can be. My role is to assist patients to be as comfortable and pain-free as possible, so they can make the most of last precious moments with their family.
“With the COVID restrictions now lifted, loved ones are once again able to come together – to comfort each other and to share in the warmth and love of the festive spirit. For our families, these memories of a final Christmas with a loved one will often stay with them forever.
“For obvious reasons, this Christmas will be very different for the patients and families we care for. For some families it’s important that they carry on with the traditions of Christmas; for their loved one it can be reassuring to hear the voices of their family enjoying the festivities. For other families, there are no celebrations at all. Having our 24/7 support gives reassurance that we are only a phone call away if they need us and takes away the worry of having to meet a patient’s medical needs when most just want to be a partner or daughter/ son at this time.”
Rowcroft’s Hospice at Home Appeal was launched earlier this year in response to the increasing demand for end-of-life care in South Devon, caused by the pandemic and the needs of an increasingly ageing local population. Aiming to raise funds to care for more patients at home in their last two weeks of life, the appeal has got off to a tremendous start with donations to date totalling £258,696. Money raised from the appeal will be used to recruit more nurses and healthcare assistants, so that we can expand our Hospice at Home service to reach an additional 190 patients per year across South Devon.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has kindly donated to our appeal, including all the local groups and businesses who have supported us,” says Claire. “It is because of this incredible generosity that we’ll be able to ensure that more families can access the Hospice at Home Service not just at Christmastime but all year round. Huge thanks also to the building supplies company, Interline, who are generously sponsoring our appeal.
To find out more or make a donation, please visit www.rowcrofthospice.org.uk or call us on: 01803 210835.