Can you help Pay for a Nurse?
During the past very difficult year, our frontline workers have continued to care for people in your local community at the end of their life. The pandemic has shown us that the need for St Clare Hospice nurses is greater than ever – therefore, we have plans in place in meet this need by expanded our nursing team.
Today, we wanted to share Anne’s story with you. Anne is the Hospice at Home Team Leader here at St Clare Hospice and has been working hard throughout the COVID pandemic to care for local people that desperately need our help.
Anne’s story
My name is Anne and I am a Hospice at Home Team Leader here at St Clare Hospice. I’ve been a nurse for over 20 years now, and my major passion is to care for people in the way in which they decide, and in the place of their choice. I’m a great believer in people being nursed at home, and that can be especially important at the end of someone’s life.
St Clare Hospice’s specialist Inpatient Unit has eight beds, but many people are surprised to learn that in addition to this, at any one time, we are also caring for around 100 people in their own homes.
“When I go to care for someone in their own home, I am a guest in their house. It is a privilege to be invited in, and to care for a person in their own home – and so rewarding to be able to support their family too.”
During the past very difficult year, the Hospice at Home team has continued to care for people in your local community at the end of their life. I am incredibly proud of the nurses and healthcare assistants who I work with, and the resilience they have shown, in supporting those dying from COVID.
For me, personally, there is one family that I will never forget. It was right at the start of the pandemic, and there was a lot of anxiety surrounding the situation. We were called in to care for a patient who was dying from COVID, who wanted to stay at home.
I remember her daughter opening the front door to me, and being taken to see her mum in the bed. The mother wasn’t old at all, but her breathing was so bad. It then unfolded that her partner also had COVID, and that he was dying as well. We found out that he was being sent home from hospital so that he too could be cared for at home.
“ In my 20 years as a nurse I have never, ever nursed two dying patients side-by-side in a double bed. That in itself was a huge challenge for us as a team.”
The Hospice at Home healthcare assistants all stood up and agreed to help, proud to go in and do their job caring for this couple. It was very difficult, both emotionally and physically, and such a sad situation. But, I felt privileged to care for them in their desperate time of need. The couple both died within a few hours of each other, together at home.
“ I have learnt that we cannot always stop someone from dying, they are coming to the natural end of their life. Although we cannot stop them from dying, we can make their death more comfortable and as dignified as possible.”
The past year has shown us that even more local people need our help. I am sharing my story with you today because the need for St Clare Hospice nurses is greater than ever. Our nurses have been busier than ever before, and we are seeing an increased need for specialist nursing care for people with complex life-limiting illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s and Dementia.
That is why we have a plan to meet this need in the coming years, with the expansion of our nursing team.
We will be recruiting for additional nurses to join St Clare Hospice across all of our teams – both caring for people in the Inpatient Unit, as well as in people’s homes. This will enable us to help even more local people and their families who need expert end of life care.
At St Clare, we know that everyone will experience the loss of a loved one, everyone will need the care and support of a hospice in some way. Our ambition is to have the capacity and skills to help everyone who needs us.
But we cannot do this work without the help of our supporters. We need your help to fund this essential addition to our nursing team. Could you support us today, and help Pay for a Nurse?
Any donation you can make today will help us put more skilled, professional and caring nurses on the ground and in people’s homes.
£18 could pay for one nurse to deliver an hour of care
£36 could pay for two nurses to deliver an hour of care
£54 could pay for three nurses to deliver an hour of care
On behalf of everyone here at St Clare Hospice, I would like to thank you for supporting your local hospice charity – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without your support.
Best wishes,
Anne
Anne Pemberton, Hospice at Home Team Leader