Support your Lancaster hospice during Hospice Care Week

To mark the occasion, St John’s will be sharing a video every day for a week, showing what it takes to run a hospice. Featuring staff from the inpatient ward, the community nurse team, fundraising, housekeeping and more; there are many roles the hospice simply couldn’t do without.

Things have been especially tough for St John’s Hospice recently, with Covid-19 affecting their day-to-day running and negatively impacting their ability to fundraise.

However, St John’s is proud that they have been there for patients and families throughout this continuing pandemic.

Maddy Bass, director of nursing and quality at St John’s Hospice, said: “There are a lot of misconceptions about hospices, and Hospice Care Week provides a great platform to let people know what we really do as well as break a few myths.

"For example, often people think we are only a Christian organisation, when in reality we treat people of all or no faith. Or that all of our patients have cancer, when in reality anyone aged 18 or over with a life shortening condition could be eligible for our hospice care.

“We also provide vital care in many patient homes; we have our Hospice at Home team who provide end of life care and Clinical Nurse Specialists who help patients who need expert care, advice and support over longer periods of time.

"Last year St John’s Hospice made more than 16,000 phone calls and over 3,000 home visits to support patients in their own homes. We hope that readers enjoy the films and please do contact us if you have any questions.”

You can see the St John’s Hospice videos and more at facebook.com/sjhospice

If your circumstances allow, and you would like to make a donation to St John’s Hospice during Hospice Care Week, you can go online here