Story
Northern
Ireland Hospice cares for 3,500 babies, children and adults with life-limiting
illnesses and their families each year. Demand for Hospice services in Northern
Ireland is increasing and the charity is now caring for over 90% of patients in
their own homes. Whilst Hospice care is free to the patient, it is not free to
provide and the charity relies heavily on support and donations from the
public. Following on from the opening of a new adult facility in north
Belfast and a refurbishment programme at the Children’s Hospice in
Newtownabbey, the charity is now looking to the future and to meeting the
palliative care demands of the local population. As has been the case in
children’s services for many years, NI Hospice adult services is now extending
its palliative care reach beyond cancer and striving to support those with
dementia, neurological conditions and respiratory conditions using a palliative
care model. It costs in excess of £9m per annum to run Northern Ireland
Hospice care services and the charity relies on voluntary income to fund circa
60% of these costs, with less that 40% being met by statutory funding sources.
Every
Pound will make a difference.
£30 could pay for one hour of specialist
nursing care
£100 could pay for a hospice nurse to stay
overnight in a patient’s home, providing much needed respite for the family.