Community
Link Tel: 01276 707571 info@hospicehomesupport.org.uk HOSPICE HOME SUPPORT VOLUNTEER TRAINING COURSE
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Fourteenth Annual Report October 2006 I am delighted to introduce the fourteenth annual report of Hospice Home Support and say that the vital work of supporting seriously ill patients at home continues. The impressive figures, including nearly 2,000 hours spent with patients during the last year, testify to the ongoing hard work of our volunteers and area organisers. The importance of support services for patients is considered to be a vital component of palliative care. This is specifically stated, by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), in the Manual for Guidance on Cancer Services: Improving Supportive and Palliative Care for Adults with Cancer. Here it comments that: “patients may need support to preserve social networks; support with personal care, cleaning and shopping….” and continues with a key recommendation that: “explicit partnership arrangements should be agreed, between local health and social care services and the voluntary sector, to ensure that the needs of patients with cancer and their carers are met in a timely fashion..”. I think that this highlights how our important contribution fits into the extensive network of support for patients with cancer; the services that we provide are often a neglected part of provision. I was at a talk recently, about palliative day care, where concern was expressed that patients may have a fantastic time when they attend a day hospice once a week, where they are able to access all the services, but what about the remaining six days? I think that this is where we can make a significant difference to the lives of patients and families and, by providing additional support during the week, enhance the quality of patients’ lives. Another speaker I heard recently, a cancer sufferer and a former health care professional, stressed the important, and often neglected, area of emotional support and commented upon the value of having someone alongside to share the journey. Again I thought – that’s us! I know that volunteers do make a real difference to the lives of patients and because of their close ongoing relationship become a trusted pair of ears. Indeed volunteers may be aware of difficulties before the health professionals. I think of two recent instances when volunteers, liaising with hospice staff, have alerted them to problems which have resulted in additional professional hospice support. This time last year we were struggling to attract volunteers. I am delighted that we have had more success this year. Linda, our administrator, attended a talk by the new editor of the news group where she outlined her priorities including one to raise the profile of charities. She has been good to her word and we have had excellent editorial coverage which resulted in an impressive number of people attending the recent information evening. I am delighted to report that the latest training course is now well under way with 14 potential volunteers. In addition to coverage in the local press our volunteer committee members and area organisers have been instrumental in attracting publicity in local magazines in Church Crookham and Rowledge. They also ran a stall at a volunteer event in Farnham library – in the rain! So thank you to Brenda, Brenda, Olive, Theresa and Margaret. As always there are committee changes to report. We were very sad to learn of the deaths of two former committee members Janice Andrews and Liz Anstead, both district nurses, who contributed to the organisation over several years and are much missed. We are sorry to lose Penny Fraser, who joined us three years ago as the training co-ordinator; she is stepping down in the New Year due to family commitments. She has made a significant contribution to the organisation and has continued to develop ongoing training for existing volunteers. We are in the process of seeking a replacement. Thank you too to Theresa Howell who is finishing her term as a volunteer member of the management committee but continues to work as a volunteer. I would particularly like to thank our area organisers, as always they have done a sterling job over the past year. It is a heavy commitment seeing all the new referrals, selecting and placing volunteers, and although some weeks can be quiet the following week is likely to bring a flood of new referrals. In addition they have provided support by manning the phones and dealing with the myriad queries we get each week. The crucial work of supporting the patients is carried out by our volunteers and so I would like to thank them very much for their hard work during the last year. The work can be difficult and demanding but I trust that it is also rewarding and I hope that volunteers feel, as I do, that we are privileged to accompany people on the final stage of their journey. In addition I would like to thank
Finally I would like to thank fellow members of Hospice Home Support who make this work possible:
Dr.
Margaret P Guy Fourteenth Annual Report Chairman's Report Training Co-ordinator’s Report
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Affiliated
to the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice |
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