HOSPICE
Hospice provides care for the terminally ill and their family. Those with an incurable condition have different medical requirements from that usually provided in hospitals which are places of ‘cure’. Hospice services focus on ‘care’ and ‘quality of life’. Our specialised palliative care services are freely available to all in need on the Hibiscus Coast without cost to the patient or family. We provide a range of services from pain control and symptom relief, free loan of specialised nursing equipment, trained volunteer support in the home, night nursing, spiritual care, grief support etc. through to bereavement counselling.
Our patients have ranged in age from 6 weeks to 99 years and come to us with a variety of illnesses. Some patients are very mobile and active and lead very full lives.
Our Hospice is a community asset. It is owned by the community and run for the benefit of our community but relies heavily on community support for both volunteer work and donations of cash or kind.
When it is no longer realistic to speak of a cure, Hospice provides specialised care to enable patients to remain in their own home. We help the family/carers to assist patients to live actively and with dignity until they die. The Hospice team will assist and support alongside the patient’s own doctor, the Hospice Medical Director and other professional services.
Hospice is a philosophy of care, it is not a place. It affirms living with dignity and provides support and care for people whose lives are coming to an end because of an advanced and progressive disease which cannot be cured. The focus of this care is on the quality of life and the degree of comfort, which can be attained through skilled specialist nursing and medical attention. The Hospice philosophy includes support for the patient and their families and this support continues on for the family after the death of the patient.
Dame Cecily Saunders in London introduced the concept of Hospice. It was based on the following principles-:
Ž That patients with an incurable disease and a relatively short life expectancy have a different kind of medical need from that usually provided by a hospital, which are places of ‘cure’. In a Hospice, the relief of physical symptoms is paramount. Effective and holistic pain control has become a trademark of the hospice movement.
Ž That patients are human beings and entitled to remain in control of their lives.
Ž That a team approach is paramount (i.e. nurses, doctors, clergy, counselors and volunteers).
Ž That priority is given to providing continuing education and training to Hospice volunteers, staff and the community.
But our Hospice is not a dull and sombre place – rather it is full of fun and laughter. Our patients may be terminally ill but that does not mean they have given up on life or they have no more living to do. It is often quite the reverse as they strive to achieve the best possible quality of life and make the most of what they have left. And we are not just here for the patients – we have a number of support groups who are able to help family and carers. We have a wonderfully positive, caring and sharing atmosphere and we urge patients to come to us as soon as they have been diagnosed as being terminally ill. Many of our patients regret they did not come to us earlier. We have the facilities to help and support patients and their families/carers and we are only a phone call away.
The service provided by our local Hospice has expanded rapidly over the last few years since its formal establishment as a Charitable Trust in 1992. Anyone who has experienced Hospice Services will know what tremendous support and care is given at a time that is nearly always traumatic for patients and families alike. Currently many families on the Hibiscus Coast are receiving such support.