Concepts for Hospice development identified

As part of the ongoing Listen Learn Adapt process staff and volunteers from across St Nicholas Hospice Care attended the sixth work session on Wednesday, 23 August.

This session was a chance for everyone to share their knowledge and expertise as 16 possible concepts for how the Hospice could work in the future were discussed.

Some 16 concepts have been identified. The concepts which sit under six main headings all have an over-arching theme of dignity and during the work session those who attended were able to add further details to enable more in-depth conversations to take place in the coming weeks.

The main objectives of work session six were to:

• Build on the concepts by adding together everyone’s knowledge and expertise

• Critique the concepts by being open and honest about the ideas put forward.

The concepts

When Hospice staff and volunteers went into the community to listen to different experiences of end-of-life care, death, dying and bereavement a reoccurring theme that the Hospice is known and respected for the way it treats the people it cares for and their loved ones was picked up.

For that reason each of the concepts has dignity at its core.

The six headings the initial concepts can be fitted into are:

Personalised care – These concepts are about personalising care based on needs and what is important to individuals. In this way, people get the care and achieve things which are right for them.

Good start – These concepts focus on giving the people we support and their families the information they need to navigate the healthcare system and access the resources that are most appropriate for them.

Dignity network – These ideas focus on concepts that develop the Hospice as a care movement and behaviours.

Training and education – Concepts centre on using the knowledge and experience the Hospice has built over the years to provide specific training for organisations and individuals about how to care for and treat people with dignity at all times.

Care at home – These concepts look at how we can empower and equip people and their families to be cared for at home and in their local community, helping them to understand the full range of support available to them, while giving guidance on how to seek help when things become beyond their capability or comfort.

Bereavement support – These concepts are around providing both emotional support and practical support after the death of a loved one.