New Hospiscare@Home service launches
Hospiscare@Home is a new service which brings the expertise of the hospice into the home, responding to the needs of the local communities in and around Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Lympstone and Woodbury.
This new service is an extension of the Clinical Nurse Specialist service already provided in the area and offers hands-on nursing care when required, any time, day or night, supporting adult patients with life-limiting illness who wish to remain at home at the end of their lives.
Jose Cortizo from Budleigh Salterton explains from his own personal experience how this will impact families in the area:
“My wife Amy was diagnosed with terminal cancer in December 2009 and we were told she could have anywhere from six months up to six years left to live. It was really important to us that Amy could stay at home and be with our children who were three and five years old at the time. We wanted to stay together and spend the time that was left as a family.
“The cancer actually progressed much faster than we expected and Amy died on 24th March 2010, aged 36.
“Hospsicare@Home wasn’t around at this time, but because of the speed of Amy’s demise we were able to keep Amy at home with us and her care was shared between a combination of Hospiscare, our GP and Devon Doctors. If Amy’s illness had been longer and we had wanted to keep her at home we could have ended up having to pay for the support.
“Cancer affects so many people and when it happens to your relative or friend you want the best possible care for them.
“It’s a situation that a family have to live with 24/7. It’s a lonely, difficult time and it affects the mental health of both the patient and those around them. The new service gives patients and their families access to a Hospiscare nurse day and night so you can tap into their expertise, advice and support any time you need it.”
Hospiscare@Home fills the gap between acute hospital care and care offered by other support agencies. It helps to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and enables patients with a life limiting illness to stay at home towards the end of their life.
For further information email hathome@hospiscare.co.uk or call 01395 279113.
Hospiscare@Home in this area is provided by the charity Hospiscare (Exeter, Mid and East Devon) and entirely funded by partner charities Budleigh Salterton & District Hospiscare and Exmouth & Lympstone Hospiscare.
To continue offering Hospsicare@Home the charities need help. To support or make a donation to your local service:
- Visit www.exmouthhospiscare.org or call 01395 279113
- Visit www.hospiscarebudleigh.org or call 01395 443629
- Alternatively, to support the provider of the service visit www.hospiscare.co.uk or call 01392 688000
- A gift in your Will can ensure the service continues in the future.
