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The
majority
of patients enter a hospice for symptom
relief and the average
length of stay is between five
to seven days per individual. Once their
symptoms are under
control, (usually quite quickly)
and the condition is stabilised
- they return home until
such time as they again need
help. Therefore
a 'bank' of up to 8 rooms
enables treatment and respite
for many more terminally
ill patients. The
Butterfly Hospice Trust, is
exploring partnership working
with other hospice and day care
providers to maximise palliative
care provision in the South East
Lincolnshire Area.
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From
the East of our Region!
SKEGNESS
(June
2008)
Sandy's
Story
I
would like to share my reasons
for supporting the Butterfly
Hospice Trust. Up until 18 months
ago I was a normal mum and took my
carefree life for granted. That
all changed in November 2006 when my
beautiful son Nick, then aged 23 was
diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer.
Nick's
cancer was very aggressive and his
condition quickly deteriorated & although he was adamant that he wanted
to stay at home, it soon became apparent
that his pain was not being controlled
and he would have periods when he was
screaming for hours. He was
admitted to the local hospital on
several occasions to try to find the
right level of pain control but after
waiting days to see a doctor he was sent
home no better than before - download
file
to
read the rest of my story and
why I intend to support the
Butterfly Hospice Trust
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Further
South - working with other
Hospice Groups
SPALDING
- BHT
are working closely with the
Spalding Hospice Group to try to
ensure that there
sufficient beds
available to meet the needs of
terminally ill residents in the
Spalding and Holbeach
areas. Sue Wray, founder
of both hospice groups is
eager to ensure an
in-patient hospice network to
provide the best possible
support for individuals and families.
Sue believes that there is not a
competition between the various
Lincolnshire providers - 'it is
all about providing quality in a
person's life and support for
the family during traumatic
time'
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BOSTON
'I
write to offer my support for hospice
beds in Boston after reading your
article in the local press. I am a
single mum with a young family living in
Boston. I was diagnosed with cancer
several months ago. I had
chemotherapy at Pilgrim hospital and
some radiotherapy at Lincoln hospital.
At
first I was able to drive and found it
not too difficult to travel for my
treatment, but as time has progressed
and my health became worse, I am no
longer able to drive and sometimes find
it difficult to look after myself:
relatives help with the children.
Recently
it was decided that I would benefit from
a short stay in a hospice but there were
no beds available in Lincoln at St
Barnabas, so I had to go to Thorpe Hall
at Peterborough. I hated every minute,
the care was loving, kind and everything
I hoped it would be, but I felt lonely
and isolated because my family could not
afford to visit every day, I really
missed my children. My children were
also unhappy and they too felt isolated
as they were unable to visit.
A
hospice close to home would mean so much
to a patient like myself, I do hope your
project will be successful and beds will
soon be available.
Alison
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PALLIATIVE
CARE BILL
'No other field of health care depends
so heavily on the voluntary sector for
funding it's core clinical services.
This statement was made in response to
Baroness Finley's Palliative Care Bill
debate in the House of Lords in February
2007 (www.theyworkforyou.com).
Dr Peter Dawson, stressed the
recognised shortage of palliative beds
across Lincolnshire and in particular
the south and east. He stated '
The
Butterfly Hospice Trust has been set up
in order to address these needs on
behalf of the local population'.
MOULTON
MARSH Nr Fosdyke
"When
my wife was diagnosed with Cancer the treatment
services provided by the NHS swung immediately
into action, and great efforts were made to
bring about a successful outcome. However, after
a period of some twelve months it was recognised
that my wife's condition was beyond further
treatment and that sadly her life expectation
was probably not more than six months.
Faced
with such a dreadful prognosis, what my wife
(and I) most needed was support, advice and
services that would enable her to live as near
normal existence as possible during her
remaining months. Regrettably, largely due to
the lack of a local Hospice, the real situation
was far from what we had hoped for.
No pain
Consultant was in post locally and
no Palliative Care In-Patient facility was
available - the nearest Hospice, in Lincoln some
40 miles away had no beds available. When my wife's illness moved into its
final stages she was in great pain which
could no longer be controlled at home: in the
absence of a local Hospice or a bed
elsewhere, she was admitted to
an inappropriate ward at the local General
Hospital.
Whilst not wishing to be overly
critical of staff who were trying to do their
best, the lack of anyone trained in Palliative
Care resulted in my wife (an uncomplaining and
courageous woman) spending the last two days of
her life crying out in constant unmanaged pain
and begging for the end to come. Immediately
after her death the staff had no idea how to handle her family and
dealt with the situation by vanishing into a
staff room. The Bereavement Service offered by
the Hospital closed for the weekend at 5pm on a
Friday, my wife died at 6pm.
Some
few months after the death of my wife, my Mother
In Law was admitted to a Hospice in the North of
England, suffering from an almost identical
condition. The difference in the way the
properly trained (in Palliative Care) staff
handled the situation was amazing. Whilst
obviously Ma's passing was sad, she was not in
pain and unlike my dear wife died with some
dignity.
The
difference in the two circumstances described
above served to make it very clear to me how
important it is to ensure that Hospice
provision is made available for residents from our
area"
Preston
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