Help our Community team meet demand this winter: donations doubled 2nd-9th Dec

Garden House Hospice Care’s community team spend winter visiting people, helping families cope, escalating issues, and giving care. They may even pop Christmas dinner in the oven. They keep families together, home, safe, in peace and comfort during what can be a difficult time of year. The team is ready to meet the demand this winter, but they need your support.

Members of the Hospice’s community team

Winter is tough when you’re in the late stages of a life-limiting illness. The cold keeps you inside. Visits decrease. The emotional toll of knowing it’s your last Christmas. The Garden House community team - comprising of nurses, health care assistants and admin support - spend their winter caring for people in the comfort of their own homes.

When asked what she likes most about her job, Senior Healthcare Assistant Diane Campbell said:

“I love meeting the patients and their families. We meet some really remarkable people, and everybody is just so different. You never know what kind of home you're walking into and what kind of personalities you're going to meet. It's particularly nice over Christmas because you get this sense that, for a lot of people, it's going to be their last Christmas together as a family. I think it's such a special time for them to be able to spend it together in their homes.

“You go home at the end of the day and you think “Wow, I helped that to happen today. That patient is now settled and they're pain free”. The families are so grateful to be able to relax a little, knowing their loved ones are going to have a comfortable night, and things are in place for them to be able to have their final days at home, in comfort and peace.”

Senior Healthcare Assistant, Diane Campbell

When asked how important is it that this service is available for as many people as possible this winter, Diane added:

“It's incredibly important. I just wish there was more we could do. I wish we could offer more beds. We've got people on our waiting list and you wish you could go to them and help look after them. I do wonder what these patients and their families would do if this service wasn't available. Unnecessary hospital admissions, the patients would be in more pain and there would be more anxiety for them and their families. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like without this service - I don't even want to imagine it.

“It's such an amazing and important service. If you would like to support us then please donate what you can.”

Cathy Hunt, Community Services Manager, said:

“Demand is up 25% for our services, and as a team we are ready to meet the demand we expect this winter. It is an honour to be part of a team that works together to provide amazing care enabling people to stay at home at the end of their lives, working in partnership with families and loved ones.”

Referrals for this service are rising, with Hertfordshire having the highest number of people on the End-of-Life Register in England. Earlier this year, Garden House announced a £750,000 funding shortfall. Help them to close this gap and meet the expected demand this winter.

How your support could help

From midday on Tuesday 2nd December to midday on Tuesday 9th December, every donation to Garden House Hospice Care will be doubled through the Big Give Christmas Challenge. So every £1 you give will be doubled to £2 at no extra cost to you.

Here are some suggested amounts and what they might pay for:

• £38, doubled to £76, could fund a visit to a patient’s home
• £102, doubled to £204, could cover travel costs for two days
• £1,681, doubled to £3,362, could pay for a full day of home visits.
  

You can find out more and donate through the Big Give by visiting our website and campaign page, linked below.