East Cheshire Hospice is recruiting more staff to care for patients who want to stay at home. Demand for the charity’s Hospice @Home service is so high that six new health care assistant roles are being created. The posts are funded by Palliative Care in Partnership (PCIP), a collaborative service providing end-of-life care across Cheshire.
Hospice @Home is 10 years old next year. During that time its popularity has risen significantly, with a specialist team now caring for almost 500 patients, their families and carers a year. Day or night nurses and health care assistants visit patients in the comfort of their own homes. Initially covering weekends and nights, the service was extended to 24 hours in 2020, overcoming the unprecedented challenges of Covid to do so.
Expanding the Team
Sister Hannah Grindey joined the Hospice @Home team as a nurse almost seven years ago. She said: “It has been hugely rewarding to see the service go from such a small team to its current size. Hospice @Home has expanded massively and recruiting more staff allows us to care for even more patients. We’ve made great progress and it’s nice to be involved. Caring for people in their own home is something I’m passionate about.”
“More patients prefer to be at home, especially since Covid, and don’t want to die in hospital. Sometimes we support patients until they want to come into the Hospice, or we may support them until the very end. In some cases, we only need to give telephone advice.”
“It can be very lonely, especially at night, and that’s partly why Hospice @Home was set up in the first place. People can have a crisis overnight with fewer people around to support them. We want people to know we are there to support them, whether through personal care, symptom management or a phone call. Crucially, we also prevent hospital visits.”
Recruitment and Training
The new recruits will join a 30-strong line up. No qualifications are needed and full training is provided. Hannah said: “The job is rewarding. You have time to spend with patients and know you’re making a difference. You know you’re in a team that’s very well supported - this is the place to be.”
Drop-in sessions for potential new recruits are at the Hospice on Friday, May 22 from 10-12 and 2-4. Applications close on May 25.
