A hospice is different to a hospital as it does not provide emergency care.

A hospice is for people who have been told by a doctor that they will not get better and will eventually die.

Try not to worry, our doctors and nurses will look after you in the hospice or at home.
You can choose.

You don’t have to pay but we will need to see your hospital passport.

You can plan to stay at the Hospice for two weeks so we can help you feel better.

You can choose to ask for a nurse or social worker to visit you at home if you prefer.

You can come to the hospice as an outpatient if you are able to travel.

You can come once a week to Day Hospice where you can do activities like bingo and games.

A volunteer is someone who helps other people.

They do lots of different jobs in the Hospice and in the community.

Volunteers do not get paid.

Café Volunteers help make tea and coffee for visitors.

Retail Volunteers work in our shops.

Volunteers also visit people in the community who are lonely.

These are just some of the ways volunteers help us.

You can help us too if you are older than 17.

We will support you to find the right volunteer role.

When someone is nearly at the end of life, the person may spend more time sleeping.

Some medicines won’t be needed any more. They can be stopped.

We sometimes see pain, noisy chest, sickness and breathing problems. We are very good at stopping these problems.

A syringe on a small pump is used to give a small dose of medicines over the whole day.

This will keep a person as comfortable as possible. They may sleep a little or a lot.

If the person is at home, the district nurse will bring the syringe pump with them.

You can hold their hand and talk to them as it will comfort them.

The family will need to collect any medicines from a pharmacy. This will be arranged by the GP and district nurses.

When you come to the Hospice to stay, our doctors and nurses will try to make you feel comfortable.

We can look after you if you are dying too.

There are things you will need to bring with you.

Bring your hospital passport with you if you have one.

Bring all your medicines and any medical equipment you need with you.

Bring your clothes, nightclothes and toiletries.

Visiting hours are 10am until 8pm.

Your family or friends can telephone the ward any time, day or night.

The nurse in charge can help you with any worries you have. Please ask.

When someone is dying you will see some changes. These are normal so try not to worry.

They may not want to eat and drink and their breathing may be noisy or heavy.

They may want to sleep more and not want to talk. Remember this is normal.

Our doctors and nurses will look after you and your loved one and will answer any questions.

We have a Chaplaincy team you can talk to if you are religious or spiritual.

Everyone who is dying has a Care Plan and our nurses will check this often to make sure they are giving the right support.

Our nurses will try to tell you when they think your loved one may only have a few days to live.

We will be there for your loved one to care and support them until the very end.

We don’t always know when someone is nearly at the end of life

The person may spend more time sleeping. They may not want to eat or drink.

You can offer drinks unless you are told it isn’t safe. Sometimes it is easier to suck a a lolly or crushed ice.

You can use a small sponge soaked in cold water or a favourite drink. It will help to keep the lips and tongue wet.

There are also special saliva sprays and gels that may be used.

Good mouth care is very important for giving comfort.

The doctors and nurses will decide if a person needs a drip. It can make things worse so we might stop it.

Try not to worry. The person will not suffer if they don’t eat or drink.

Our Community Team
(CPCT) provides care and support where you live. They don’t give hands-on care.

The Community Palliative Care Team may see you at an early stage of your illness.

They might see you at a later stage of your illness.

They have special knowledge about caring for people with very serious illness.

They help with lots of things that might be making you feel unwell –like bad pain.

They will listen and learn what is important to you and give you advice and support.

They work together with GPs and district nurses to care for you.

The community team has special nurses, doctors, social workers and some other people who will help.

When someone in your family or a friend dies it can be very hard.

This is called bereavement.

You may need to talk to someone outside your family and friends who understands and can help.

St Joseph’s Hospice can support you.

Weekly counselling at St Joseph’s could help you cope with your loss.

Or you can have counselling by telephone or video call.

Families and couples can meet with a counsellor to talk about their bereavement and find ways to support each other.

You can meet other bereaved people at one of our support groups or social clubs.

They will understand what you are going through and you can find out how they cope.