Posted on: 15 June 2023
This blog comes from Charlotte Goulding, Programme Manager for the Partnership’s Palliative Care and End of Life in partnership with Wakefield and Prince of Wales Hospices.
Hello, my name is Charlotte.
Hospice care is a specialised service that provides comfort and support to patients with life-limiting illnesses as well as their families and loved ones. In a series of blogs to explore the range of expertise and care offered in our region, Charlotte Goulding, Programme Manager for Palliative Care and End of Life at West Yorkshire Partnership, has visited all of the hospices in our region and will be outlining some of the support and services from each hospice. The aim is to showcase the vital support hospices provide, to dispel common myths about palliative and end of life care and to demonstrate how hospices uniquely support their local communities. This week we are visiting The Prince of Wales Hospice and Wakefield Hospice to learn more about their innovative programmes of support, provided in addition to the more traditional hospice services.
Introduction to Wakefield
The Wakefield district has a population of over 350,000 people, and this is growing due to local housing growth and international immigration. Alongside this, the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the name for a collection of lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is significantly higher in Wakefield district than it is in England.
The Prince of Wales Hospice and the cuddle bed
Families at The Prince of Wales Hospice value their ‘cuddle bed’, a bed designed to allow a second person to lie beside their loved one or for young children to cuddle up with mum or dad to share those very precious moments together and offer comfort when they need it most. The benefits can also be seen in how the bed is used for care. As an example, a man with dementia and a learning disability was easily and comfortably weighed using the cuddle bed. This ensured he could receive an optimised diet, supplements and medicine at the correct dose for his body (this often depends on a patient’s weight).
Working with people who have learning disabilities:
Millennium Support, a charity supporting people with learning difficulties for over 20 years brings their members to garden at the Hospice every week. Their care and attention to the garden creates a calm and tranquil space for families as well as a mindful and enjoyable activity for their members. As a member of the group, Michael (not pictured) says, “I want to show people that just because I have a learning disability it doesn’t mean I can’t do things to help other people.”
Supporting people with dementia
Since 2017, Wakefield Hospice has employed Debby Veigas, an End of Life Care Admiral Nurse who was only the seventh nurse to be appointed in role in the UK. Her role oversees the support of dementia care for both the person living with dementia and their family and carers, and extends to colleagues working in local care homes. Local couple Julie and John have been visiting Wakefield Hospice for the past year. John was diagnosed with Dementia in 2019 at the age of 63. He visits Wakefield Hospice every Wednesday, receiving support from the Dementia Day Care team. Julie said, “There’s no other way to put it - it has been a life-saver for me and John. It’s just the personalised support they offer, I can see how much they care for John, and likewise how much John cares for them; they’ve been incredible for him and they’ve been incredible for me too.”
Community engagement with prisons in Wakefield
Wakefield Hospice also supports prisons in the area, including providing end of life care training to prison staff. The team also has links with a scheme for men in prison to develop work experience and skills by upcycling furniture which is sold in Wakefield Hospice shops:
“Giving back to the community, by our handiwork, gives us a true sense of achievement by our endeavors. For us, it is a pleasure to do what we do, for those in most need of our abilities, may our work never end…” “The Team” – Charity Shop 6 / HMP Wakefield
“Whenever anyone speaks to the upcycling team you can see the pride oozing out of them as they discuss giving back to the community. You can also see this in the amount of time and effort they put into each item.” Workshop 6 Instructor
This is just a snapshot of the important work and expertise in Wakefield. We hope you'll join us as we visit other hospices across the region learning about how they support their local communities, and the important outreach work they pioneer to reduce inequalities and improve access to support.