Celebrating the vital service we provides this Hospice Care Week

We’re proud to support #HospiceCareWeek from 6-12 October, showing all the ways hospices do #MoreThanYouThink.

On the wards, in the community, and in people’s homes across the UK, hospices like ours in Bolton look after people who need palliative and end of life care day in, day out. They work tirelessly to make sure that those people are comfortable and can live well in the time they have left.

But hospice care isn’t only about managing pain and symptoms on a hospice ward. It is often about the things that make life better for the person and their family outside of the hospice’s building.

The things that someone might have once loved doing, but now struggles to because of their illness. Like going to their favourite café, seeing a sports match, taking a day trip to the beach, or even just getting out into their own garden. 

These services could – and should – be growing and expanding to meet the rising demand of our ageing population. But in actual fact, they are shrinking. Many hospices are on the brink, with surging costs leading to many services being cut back.

With the right support, there is so much more they can do. So that’s why, this Hospice Care Week, we’re celebrating all the things that hospices do to make people’s live better in their own homes, and the hospice staff and volunteers who do them – to help raise awareness that these services should be properly funded.

Hospice care is more than you think

This year’s theme is ‘hospice care is more than you think’ – spotlighting all the amazing work hospices do beyond what you might expect and beyond the hospice building, and showing why it’s so vital these services are protected.

Since being diagnosed with liver and lung cancer, and undergoing 31 courses of radiotherapy, Jonathan has struggled with the many side effects and symptoms of his illness and treatment.

Following a series of collapses, seizures, and a badly broken arm, Jonathan was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital where he stayed for 4 weeks. 

“After that I got to choose whether I’d like to go home, or be admitted to the hospice. I chose home, but I only lasted two days before I asked if the offer of the hospice was still there.

“I was completely shocked when I got here. I’d thought it would be a place full of older people sitting around knitting, but it’s actually such a friendly, lively place. I can’t fault it at all.”

Jonathan plans to stay at the hospice while his broken arm continues to heal, so that he can benefit from the support of the specialist, multidisciplinary team.

“Those two days at home were a struggle for me and my partner to manage, but here it’s like being on holiday, and my partner can visit as much as he wants. The doctors call into my room several times a day to check on my pain, tweaking my medication if needed, and we’ve now got my pain under control.

“Having been a nurse for over 30 years myself, I’ve seen care in all sorts of settings, and I just can’t fault it here. I’ve seen physiotherapists about my arm, I’m booked in for a hand massage at the Wellbeing Hub, and everyone here - nurses, doctors, volunteers, housekeepers – have become like friends. They don’t go past my room without popping their head in to say hello!

“If anyone’s nervous about what a hospice is, don’t be.”

Hospice at Home

As well as specialist palliative inpatient care and flexible drop-in support sessions at the Wellbeing Hub, Bolton Hospice also provides a Hospice at Home Service.

Lauren is a Sister for the specialist Hospice at Home service, delivering all aspects of specialist palliative and end of life care to people whose preferred place of care is their home.

“Caring for people at the end of their life is a privilege. As a hospice at home nurse, I’m there to provide specialist care, comfort, and support — not just for the person who is dying, but for their family too. It’s about helping people live well until the very end, in the place they feel most at peace.”

The Hospice at Home team work collaboratively with District Nurses, GPs and Macmillan Nurses, to ensure that those patients who wish to be cared for at home, surrounded by their family and friends, are able to do so. It is a seven day a week service currently operating between the hours of 08:30 am and 4:30 pm.

“My Nan had vascular dementia and lung cancer and came to live with us so we could support her. Obviously we couldn't do everything for her, and we had the Bolton Hospice nurses come in to help. They were amazing with us and my Nan actually looked forward to their visits. We are so grateful for all they did while she was alive and the help and advice they gave us.”

Did you know?

As well as the specialist Hospice at Home Service, Bolton Hospice offers flexible, drop-in support at the Wellbeing Hub including outpatient clinics, advice sessions, complementary therapy and symptom management to help you live well & provides 24-hour advice for patients, family members and healthcare professionals?

Bolton Hospice is an independent charity and government funding only covers a fraction of their costs. They need to raise over £5 million a year to enable them to continue providing their free specialist care.

Bolton Hospice cares for patients throughout their illness, helping to improve their wellbeing and quality of life. Many patients access hospice services to help with symptom management and will return home after a short stay at the inpatient unit.

Bolton Hospice cares for people with any life-limiting illness, not just cancer, including conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), advanced lung disease, heart diseases, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

You can self-refer to Bolton Hospice. If you think they could help you or your loved one, please visit www.boltonhospice.org.uk/refer or ask your healthcare professional for more information.