After a palliative cancer diagnosis, St Barnabas patient, John, was contacted by the charity and now receives visits and specialist care from their ‘Hospice at Home’ team.
The St Barnabas ‘Hospice at Home’ teams work across Lincolnshire to support patients and their families, to continue living with their diagnosis and plan for their future care.
John shares how he has been supported by the team: “After my diagnosis, St Barnabas got in touch with me and asked if I wanted anything to help me in the house.
“They put handrails on the stairs, I’ve got a chair in the bathroom which I can sit on, and it lowers me down, and I’ve got grab rails in the shower so that I don’t fall.
“They put in place things like that for me which are very, very helpful.”
Further to practical adjustments, the St Barnabas ‘Hospice at Home’ team have provided John with vital wellbeing support.
He says: “It’s nice to have somebody here to talk to. They come and have a chat with me, ask me how I am, and if there is anything they can do.
“When you’re on your own, it’s lonely, and you get a bit fed up at times, but I’m very happy with them and they’ve been very good to me”.
St Barnabas Chief Executive Officer Chris Wheway makes it a priority to accompany ‘Hospice at Home’ teams on their visits to patients in communities across Lincolnshire, every month.
On a recent visit, Chris was able to meet John.
Chris shares how visits like this impact the work of him, and his colleagues, at St Barnabas: “For me, it’s incredibly important that I know what every decision and meeting I go to is grounded in, and it’s grounded in the people we serve.
“Hospice at Home care is an incredibly powerful and vital service in Lincolnshire, where we meet people when they are at their most vulnerable.
“I love to come out and meet real people who are facing the real challenges of end-of-life care, just like John.”
Chris was accompanied on his visit to meet John by St Barnabas Health and Rehabilitation Support Worker, Julie.
She says: “When people are diagnosed with a palliative illness, it’s quite a devastating thing for that person.
“I think St Barnabas provide a brilliant service in making sure that person is living their best life.”
Last year, St Barnabas were involved in the triage or care of 3,340 people in their own homes.
The cost of caring for a patient, like John, in their own home for one hour, is £19.93.
To help St Barnabas staff, like Julie, care for more people, like John, please visit the St Barnabas Hospice website, and find out about all the ways you can get involved.