Hospice Care Week 2020 - St Richard's Hospice

Happy #HospiceCareWeek from everyone here at St Richard’s Hospice!

We’re passionate about providing hospice care for all adults with serious, progressive illnesses – whoever they are and whatever their age, and whether it’s in the hospice, community, or at home.

Over the past year, our wonderful teams have supported 3,338 patients, loved ones, and bereaved people across Worcestershire, including:

294 patients on our In-patient Unit
1,208 patients cared for by our Community Nursing Teams
1,905 individuals supported by Family Support Team
492 individuals supported by our Living Well Services Team
2,498 referrals into our Gateway Team

With the world dealing with the effects of Covid-19, expert end of life care is more important than ever.

This week, we’re showing you #WhatItTakes to provide our individual, compassionate care to patients, their families, and bereaved people across Worcestershire.

Caring through Covid-19

The coronavirus pandemic has seen us adapt the ways we care.

Many of our services have ‘gone virtual’, with compassionate, individual support given over the phone or by video call.

Whether it’s in our In-patient Unit or out in the community, we are here to offer the best possible care we can during these times – ensuring each patient and loved one is given the compassion, and dignity, they deserve.

Since the start of the pandemic we have:

Cared for 138 individuals on our In-patient Unit
Delivered more than 30 afternoon teas to people under our care celebrating a special occasion in lockdown
Clinical nurse specialists have supported 345 individuals in the community
190 individuals supported by our Hospice at Home Team
962 hours of support given over the phone by the Family Support Team
43 bereavement and Men’s Space support group sessions delivered virtually by the Family Support Team
Dozens of handmade hearts donated and given our to patients and loved ones, helping keep them connected while apart
50 virtual social group sessions held by Living Well Team
344 hours of patient-centred support given by Gateway Team
Held 12 virtual events, with four more taking place in October and others lined up too!
Sold 133,173 items in our shops from June to September, following a three-month closure of all stores

How the Gateway Team has adapted during lockdown

Read a piece by Maria Kavanagh, Gateway Team Lead, on the team’s experience of caring through the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has truly altered the way we are all working

“All of the Gateway Team are working from home, so this in itself poses challenges when communicating with each other. We use instant messaging, video calls, and are constantly talking to each other to keep in touch and ensure communication remains key.

“Initially there was a sense of panic from patients and families, and Gateway fielded many distressed calls from people whose appointments had been suddenly cancelled.

“They felt frightened and ‘abandoned’. Much time was spent hearing people’s distress, and fears for the future.

“Our skills of assessing symptoms over the phone were really put to the test, and we worked hard as a whole team – alongside the community teams and medics – to provide as much care as we could.

“Admissions to IPU were challenging initially, and over time referrals picked up and we were able to support our patients and those with Covid again. The assessments for admission became more detailed as increased risks were assessed before admission.

“Now we are all settling into a ‘new normal’. Our workload has increased significantly and, due to Covid, is more complex. We work closely with all departments in the hospice to ensure patient and families get the support they need.”

Find out more about Hospice Care Week on the Hospice UK website.