Hospice at Home West Cumbria are introducing a new Support at Home Service, which will be going live from Monday 12th June.
Stella Walsh, the new Support at Home Service Lead has been working hard behind the scenes for many months to shape and develop the service, ensuring Hospice at Home West Cumbria are building something which meets the demand in the local communities and allows us to reach those who need us.
Stella Walsh, the new Support at Home Service Lead said: “I’ve always been passionate about providing the best service possible to anyone who comes into contact with Hospice at Home West Cumbria. Whether that’s a supporter, a volunteer, a family member or a patient and I have been working to develop a service that centres around our value of delivering excellent patient care.”
Here Stella answers our questions about the new service:
What is the new Support at Home Service you are going to be offering?
The aim of the Support at Home Service is to facilitate a person’s discharge from hospital and to prevent hospital admissions where possible. We will provide a high standard of essential care and emotional support for people with a life limiting condition. Our strapline is ‘to support the person in the patient’ by allowing them to lead on their own holistic care and encouraging them to maintain a level of independence and control in their own home.
When will the new service start?
Plans have been underway for many months to shape and develop the service to ensure we are building something which meets the demand in our communities and allows us to reach those who need us. Part of this development has involved meeting teams in the community who we will be working collaboratively with and we are very grateful for their support and input during this process. This has included District Nursing teams, the Integrated Care Community Hubs, GP practices, Clinical Nurse Specialists and other community-based health care professionals. Our new service will be ready to ‘go live’ on Monday 12th June!
Who is eligible to receive these services?
Our Support at Home Service is available to people who have a palliative diagnosis and are eligible for ‘fast track’ discharge which is supported by Continuing Health Care funding. A clinician involved in the person’s care will assess and identify if they are eligible and make the referral to Hospice at Home West Cumbria. One of our Senior Registered Nurses will then visit the patient to carry out an initial assessment and complete a Personalised Care and Support Plan. This is an individualised holistic plan to include comprehensive details of the patient’s needs, focusing on who they are, what matters to them and how they want to be supported by our service.
How do people get referred?
Referrals into the Support at Home Service can be made by health care professionals involved in the patient’s care, for example a GP, District Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, or hospital discharge team. The patient should be eligible for Continuing Health Care Funding in order to receive the Support at Home care package.
How does this fit in with current services that HHWC offer?
The new service dovetails into our existing Home Nursing Service which provides overnight and blocks of daytime respite care for patients with a life limiting illness. Patients, families and carers rely on our experienced staff to deliver skilled palliative and emotional care to allow them to remain in their chosen place as their illness progresses. Our new service will support patients with up to three visits every day and if further care is needed throughout the night, both teams will work together to ensure wrap-around care for the patient where possible.
How many members of the team do you currently have?
We have recruited a small but fantastic team of qualified and experienced Health Care Assistants to get the service up and running. They have a wealth of skills and experience between them and throughout their induction and training process they have shown a real passion for end of life care and an understanding of the high standards we up hold at hospice.
Are there any plans to expand the team?
We know there is a demand for our new service and we are expecting things to grow and develop quite quickly. We want the service to expand over time, but will make sure this is carefully managed as things develop and progress.
How Can You Get In Touch
If you would like any further advice about this service, please call Hospice at Home West Cumbria, Workington Community Hospital on: 01900 705200
