INSIDE:
The Forever Stone:
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Gifts in wills can ensure our care continues
A Day in the Life: Ella from our Hospice to Home team shares her day
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Supportive Care:
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A glimpse at our six week supportive programme
Spring/Summer 2018
Our latest news for supporters and friends of North Devon Hospice
news
THE FOREVER S TO N E
Hospice’s care rated as ‘Outstanding’ North Devon Hospice has been accredited as providing ‘Outstanding’ care by the CQC following their recent inspection. The hospice was also recognised as ‘Good’ across the CQC’s other measuring categories, including the provision of safe and effective care, being responsive and being well-led. Hospice CEO, Stephen Roberts, said “I am delighted that the incredible hard work of our staff and volunteers has been recognised by the CQC, and that they’ve rated our care as ‘Outstanding’. Each and every day, we dedicate ourselves to supporting the individual needs of our patients and their families. We’re immensely proud that this has been formally acknowledged and I’d like to thank our fantastic team for their hard work and dedication.”
“Absolutely everyone here is focussed on providing the very best for our patients and families. Modern hospice care is not just about someone’s final days, it is about living life to the full and giving people the opportunity to live well with their illness. That extends to the whole family too, as we are here to support everyone throughout their whole journey. To have our care rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC simply reflects the love and dedication that we all put into our work.”
Dr Murray Fletcher, Medical Director at the hospice, said that this rating reflects the personalised care offered.
For more information on the work of the hospice please visit www.northdevonhospice.org.uk
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Welcome to our latest Newsletter. This year, we are hoping to encourage more people to think of leaving the hospice a gift in their will through the ‘Forever Stone’. It will really help us to keep securing a future for your care.There is more about the Forever Stone in this Newsletter. On behalf of the thousands of people we have supported in the last 12 months, thank you.
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CEO Stephen Roberts
Glowing the Extra Mile
Sign up for this year’s Nightwalk now
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Remembering Loved Ones
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Coming together for Floating Bye
Helping to Secure our Future Gifts in wills support our care
Handy Volunteers
Our search for ‘hands on’ volunteers
A Day in the Life of Ella Ella shares her experiences
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Six week support programme A glimpse at supportive sessions
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Supporting through the journey of Motor Neurone Disease A common myth about the hospice is that we’re just here for patients with cancer. When in fact we care for people with a wide range of life-limiting illnesses, such as heart failure, COPD and Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Eric and Avril Stone from Barnstaple are supported at home, by Lin from our Community Nurse Specialist team, after Eric was diagnosed with MND in 2015. The support provided at home has been vital. “Lin joined the hospice around the same time as Eric was diagnosed, so it feels like we’ve been through the journey together” said Avril. “She comes to visit every month and is very helpful. Just recently she helped us get a blue badge for Eric and it happened in record time. She must know the right people!”
Lin said that it has been a privilege getting to know the couple over the last two and a half years. “When I started with North Devon Hospice, Eric and Avril were one of my very first visits. I can fully empathise with them as sadly I lost my mother to MND in 2014, so I fully understand the difficulties they face” she said. “I’ve offered emotional support, advice on pain and other symptoms, as well as information on things like benefits. I feel we have built up a lovely relationship.” Since experiencing hospice care first-hand, the Stones say that it has made such a positive difference to their lives. “It’s a refuge. Hospice isn’t a dirty word. Get in there and sample it. And be prepared to smile” said Eric. Avril added, “We have some very supportive friends, who we couldn’t cope without, but the people who understand us the most and understand the problems we have to deal with are at the hospice.”
Headline Sponsor
Glowing the extra mile for our nurses An evening of live music, light installations, fire performers, fancy dress, choirs and, of course, our ever popular Prosecco Station awaits our amazing walkers. Routes starting from Barnstaple, Instow, Bideford and Torrington will be aglow as we aim to raise £100,000 for our hospice night nurses to continue making a difference to the lives of people in North Devon.
Nightwalk
Saturday 19th May
Routes starting from Barnstaple, Instow, Bideford and Torrington. Choose a walk from 3 to 11 miles. www.nightwalk.co.uk
Head of Care, Keely Dempsey said “This is one of our most popular events in the calendar and every year we are blown away by the effort of everyone taking part. Our wonderful night nurses are providing vital care and support to patients at home
and on our bedded unit when they and their families need it the most, round the clock. Last year we were able to support 321 patients at home and made 5,030 visits to patients’ homes, this sort of care is only possible with the support from the local community taking part in our events.” She continues “This year we hope to see many more women lacing up their trainers and embarking on this unmissable event. Nightwalk 2018 is set to be our biggest and brightest event yet – even ‘Prince Harry’ will be putting in an appearance - neon veils optional!” This really is a great way to enjoy a colourful and fun night out with the girls, while doing something meaningful to help your local hospice support our local community. Sign up online at www.nightwalk.co.uk 3
Remembering loved ones at Floating Bye Floating Bye is a very special and moving occasion which takes place on Instow beach, as the sun goes down.
Did you know... We are there to support children and young people, from the moment their loved ones are diagnosed. It’s so important that the whole family are supported.
This annual event gives people the chance to write a message to someone they miss, before attaching this message to a flower and placing it on a specially-made wicker raft. The raft is then gently towed out into the sea as the sun goes down. It is a beautiful and meaningful way to remember
those special people who have made an impact in our lives. Charlie Raymont, a Clinical Nurse Specialist said “To see so many people come together to remember someone special is really moving. It makes us realise that we all have people that we wish were still with us, and that it’s OK to miss someone who is dear to us. A big part of the support offered by North Devon Hospice is helping people cope with the loss of a loved one, so events like Floating Bye can form part of that process. It is a very supportive occasion for the whole community of North Devon and every year it is a privilege to be there.”
“People make a donation for the flower and card that are laid on the raft. The money raised from this event helps us to support those who need our care, now and into the future.” This year’s event will take place on Sunday 1st July 2018, you’re more than welcome to turn up any time from 6pm. The raft will float at 7pm. If you would like to find out more about joining us this year, please contact Robyn on 01271 347233.
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Gifts in wills can help to secure our care The Forever Stone is here because we want to keep caring, forever.
What’s more, hidden in the Stone are the names of some of the people who have left legacies to us. The only way to reveal them is to use our special iPad. Then, as if by magic (or more precisely augmented reality) the names appear. We would be eternally grateful for your consideration of the hospice when writing or changing your will. We’d love you to come and see The Forever Stone and discover the stories. And if you would like to know more about legacies, simply call us for more details on 01271 347206 or email leaveagift@northdevonhospice.org.uk.
Each year, some wonderful people leave North Devon Hospice a gift in their will. These legacies mean the world to us. They secure our future. The care we bring to thousands of North Devon people depends on these gifts.
Did you know....?
We want to go on caring forever. That’s why we have created The Forever Stone.
We need to raise £4.5 million in charitable income every year so that we can continue supporting our patients and their families facing a life-limiting illness.
The Forever Stone stands at Deer Park as an everlasting reminder of how precious legacies are to us.
THE FOREVER S TO N E
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Do not pass ‘Go’ without picking up your version of North Devon Monopoly!
Volunteering... Please help us to raise awareness of your local charity by telling a friend all about what we do.
Handy volunteers please apply! Could you be our next volunteer? Every year, we hold a number of fundraising events from Nightwalk to Mission:Unbreakable. In support of putting on these events, we are looking for people who would like to volunteer in our Facilities team, helping to set up and pack down our key events. Gavin, Lead Maintenance Engineer at the hospice said “Setting up for our events is always a varied job. We are often delivering to multiple sites, setting up 6
marquees, putting up signage and many other things. It’s a really hands on job which has a lot of team spirit. We are keen to welcome volunteers into the team. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t had any experience as all our volunteers will get full training.” If you’re interested to find out more about this or other volunteering roles within the hospice, please contact Sue Friend, our Volunteer Coordinator by calling 01271 347226 or email susanfriend@northdevonhospice.org.uk.
Almost 4,000 households across the area have already enjoyed playing this local version of the world’s favourite board game, and time is running out if you want to get your hands on your very own board. North Devon Hospice worked with the game’s creators, Hasbro, to produce the limited edition North Devon Monopoly, with all proceeds going towards our patient and family care. Pick up your own limited edition North Devon Monopoly at any of our hospice shops or buy online at www.northdevonmonopoly.co.uk.
Did you know... Around 80p of every £1 we raise is spent on care. That’s amazing!
Patrick’s story went viral As a local charity, our focus is on the community of North Devon. So it was an unexpected surprise when our hospice gained worldwide attention late last year. Patrick Saunders, a patient on our Bedded Unit, had told our nurses how much he loved horses, and how they’d played an important part in his life. Always looking for an opportunity to give our patients happy experiences, our care team arranged
for a horse to come and visit Patrick at the hospice. The video we made of this touching encounter quickly spread around the world, with people transfixed by the pure joy on Patrick’s face. The video has been viewed millions of times and the story was reported by major news networks in dozens of different countries, including NBC’s Today show in America and Australia’s Channel 9 News. The media attention culminated in ITV’s This Morning programme doing a live
broadcast from the hospice, featuring Patrick’s daughter Jane alongside Cathy, one of the nurses who cared for him. Jane said “Dad was a very quiet person and I think all this attention would have taken him by surprise! I would never have imagined I’d be talking to 8 million viewers on national television either. It was nerve-wracking but I really enjoyed it in the end. It certainly was an experience. The hospice had been so kind to us, so I was happy to give something back in this way.” Patrick’s granddaughter, Natalie, added “I saw the story had been viewed millions of times and I wondered how far it would travel! I even heard people talking about it in the supermarket and I thought ‘That’s amazing, that’s my Grandad!’ It definitely helped me with the whole process of accepting what had happened and provided a very nice distraction. It was a comfort to know he was so happy in his final days.” While the worldwide exposure was certainly unexpected, the personalised care that Patrick received happens every day at the hospice, all thanks to the support of our local community. 7
Marathon fundraising efforts by Richard
“It’s my first time running the famous North Devon Half Marathon – all my training aside, wearing our lottery mascot costume for 13.1 miles isn’t really something I can prepare for! I really hope it’ll help raise awareness of just how important joining the lottery is, each subscription will help us to keep providing local hospice care to people in North Devon during a really difficult time in their lives.”
Richard Carter, Lottery Manager You can sponsor Richard by visiting his Just Giving page https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ NDHospiceLotteryBall Sign up online to play the Lottery www.playnorthdevon.org.uk 8
Have you explored our brand new Furniture Store? Located on Braunton Road, Barnstaple, our new furniture and homeware store is proving exceptionally popular, with shoppers eager to pick up a bargain for the home. Geoff Edwards, the store manager, said “Moving to this new location has been a revelation. Being on the main road between Barnstaple and Braunton is fantastic because so many people pass by every day. We’ve also got plenty of parking and so much more room on the shop floor so the range of stock we can showcase is huge. We’ve got so many amazing items for the home, all at great prices, so I’m not surprised that the new store has been popular with customers of all ages.” As well as pre-loved furniture and homeware items, from the end of April 2018, the store will also stock an extensive
range of brand new goods such as pocket sprung mattresses, top of the range fridges, high spec cookers and energy efficient washing machines. All at bargain prices. Geoff said, “If you haven’t already been, I’d highly recommend popping in for a visit. Our range of goods will really surprise you, and of course all proceeds go straight to the hospice.” Our new Furniture Store on Braunton Road, Barnstaple is open Monday to Saturday from 9.00am until 4.30pm. Call 01271 327827.
Nightwalk isthe A day in just around the corner, dont miss out!
life of Ella
Our Hospice to Home team provide care in people’s own homes around the clock. Healthcare Assistant, Ella shares her morning with you.
Ella’s day starts at 8.00am. She has been to visit her first patient in Barnstaple on many occasions before. While Ella helps him to put on fresh pyjamas, he tells us, “I’m not in pain but I do get tired and breathless very easily, so having this kind of support at home makes such a difference. They’ve even sat with me through the night, when I was getting up a lot and becoming breathless or dizzy. It was very reassuring to have their expertise on hand.” Ella prepares some watermelon for his breakfast, before helping him change his colostomy bag. Ella’s next visit is on the other side of Barnstaple, to a gentleman who has a brain tumour. His son says, “The hospice team help Dad to be comfortable at home with whatever he needs. They’ve provided night sitters for Dad too, as that is when his confusion can be quite bad. It is a reassuring presence, because they just know how to react to every situation.”
Ella’s next patient in Hartland is in bed because her medication has left her very tired. They have a general chat about her well being. Ella says this is an important part of the job too, “Patients are at different stages of their journey, so sometimes we’ll be very hands-on with personal care as well as prompting medication. And helping in the very final days and hours of life too. But throughout all of this there is an element of companionship and it’s nice to just chat with our patients.” The last patient of Ella’s morning is in Bideford. The couple are long-time supporters of the hospice. “Our company has donated every year to the hospice, so we know what an amazing charity it is. But we had no idea of the levels of care and
support on offer until we found ourselves in this situation,” she said. Her husband was initially diagnosed with prostate cancer but having recently been told his illness was terminal, the Hospice to Home team has been providing care since then. “I do always look forward to their visit,” he said. Ella was visiting at the same time as the local District Nurse, so they can liaise about his condition and share information. Ella said “We work really closely with other healthcare professionals, so we all know what’s going on and can collectively make sure we provide the right care and support.” It’s now 1.30pm and time for Ella to head back to the hospice to review her caseload of patients for the afternoon, before continuing with her day. 9
Six week programme of support is well received Our Supportive Care services are here to support the whole family. Here’s a glimpse into what has happened recently. Candlelit dinner More than 30 diners enjoyed a special evening of fine food, hand-picked wines and attentive service. This was not at a new restaurant, but at the hospice. The idea came from talking to patients and families about how difficult it can be to go out together, how they miss the opportunity to share special moments and make wonderful memories. Dorothy, a counsellor at the hospice said “This was an important event because it felt very intimate and couples had the opportunity to spend meaningful time 10
together in a relaxed setting. It was lovely to speak to people who were getting excited about what they were going to wear and what they might eat.”
and see how wonderful it really is. I think especially for men it is important for us to take advantage of the support on offer, because sometimes we can be a bit closed off to new things. I’ve really enjoyed meeting new people who are in the same situation as me, so I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone.”
Patients express themselves through music Friendships blossom at patient’s gardening group Patients participated in the hospice’s first ever gardening group; a six week programme designed to give people the chance to pursue a passion for horticulture. Peter from Torrington said “We’ve been planting all sorts of things over the last few weeks and it’s been really great. None of us knew each other before coming to the gardening group, but it has been lovely to meet new people and I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone while doing some gardening too. I enjoy coming to the hospice, whether it’s here in Barnstaple or down at The Long House in Holsworthy. People might think it is a depressing place, but it is the complete opposite and more people need to come
We launched a six week group called ‘Tracks of my Years’ for patients and carers, designed to give them an opportunity to create some special audio memories on disc. Hospice counsellor Dorothy said “Music can allow us to express ourselves and our lives. It transports us through time to a moment, a place and to people. Sometimes to a once in a lifetime moment that was shared; a first dance or a wedding and sometimes a moment that evokes a period of our lives or communicates the essence of what is important to us. It could even be a song that says something about us that someone else might not even know. Our patients are likely to be in their last years of life and so being able to create something like this either for themselves or to give to someone else can be a really powerful and important thing.”
Hospice team deliver Degree Module with University With a wealth of experience, our Education team are top of the class when it comes to sharing their knowledge of palliative end of life care. Our aim is simple, to enhance the skills of everyone caring for individuals with a lifelimiting illness, throughout North Devon. Our work meets the needs of Domiciliary Care Agencies, Residential and Nursing Homes, the Trust, Community Groups and individuals to support excellence in enhancing patients’ lives in palliative care. Head of Education, Sam Ritzen said “The department has had a great year, we saw our highest number of Bachelors and Masters Students on our University of Plymouth module.” “A highlight in 2017 for the team was expanding our Six Steps+ programme to Domiciliary Care Agencies after seeing improvements in end of life care within the Care Homes who had previously been accredited. After a successful launch of the programme in November 2017, we’re delighted that our 2018 cohort is now full.
We want to keep in touch What is General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)? The new regulations, which come into force in May 2018, are to ensure that organisations are transparent and explicit about how they use and store personal data.
informed of how your support is benefitting our patients and their families or to invite you to events. If you are a lottery member or donate items for us to sell, we hold the data required to process your data in order to legally fulfil our agreements.
How does this affect the data we hold? North Devon Hospice is committed to protecting your personal data and working in accordance with all the relevant data protection legislation.
We will never share your information without your consent to do so and we will not contact you if you have asked us not to.You may opt out of receiving communications from us or change how we communicate with you at any time by contacting the Fundraising Team at North Devon Hospice, Deer Park, Newport EX32 0HU.
The hospice may hold data relating to you from a number of sources; this may include information about events you’ve attended or gifts you’ve given and if you are receiving care from us, we will hold relevant care records.Your data is held securely on the hospice’s databases and access to those databases is restricted to a limited number of users. How do we use the data? Your data will only be used for legitimate purposes. This may include keeping you
North Devon Hospice’s Data Protection Officer is responsible for monitoring compliance with relevant legislation in relation to personal data and can be contacted at dataprotection@northdevonhospice.org.uk For more information about how we use your data please visit www.northdevonhospiceprivacy.org.uk 11
Dates for your diary...
Art Exhibition
Nightwalk
Walking from Barnstaple, Bideford, Instow and Torrington. Register at nightwalk.co.uk
20 JUN
Top local artists exhibit their work, includes canapes and Prosecco The George Hotel, South Molton, 6-9pm. northdevonhospice.org.uk
Colour Me Happy
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Glow the extra mile MAY and join us for the biggest and brightest night of the year
29 JUL
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AONB North JUN Devon Marathon Run one of the most challenging courses in the UK (or just watch!)
northdevonhospice.org.uk
ShebFarmFest
01 SEP
Walk, dance, skip or run! North Devon’s most colourful 3k route. For all ages.
Music, bands and beer! Don’t miss out on this fabulous music festival with headline act Scouting For Girls. Get early bird tickets now.
Stanhope Park, Holsworthy. More information at northdevonhospice.org.uk
shebfarmfest.com
Open Gardens at Deer Park
03 JUN
Smuggler Sportive
03 JUN
View the grounds of Deer Park at North Devon Hospice and enjoy a cream tea or lunch in our Café. Open 10am - 4pm
40, 50 and 80 mile cycle routes showcasing some of North Devon‘s hidden gems. Starting and finishing on The Square, Barnstaple
Please call to book 01271 344 248
More info at northdevonhospice.org.uk
Floating Bye
01 JUL
Remember someone close to you by sending a flower on a raft with the tide at sunset 6pm, Instow Beach Raft will float at 7pm. More info at northdevonhospice.org.uk
Appledore Book Festival
21-29 SEP
21-29 September Why not come along to the book festival and enjoy a light lunch or tea and cake? Cafe at St Mary’s Hall, Appledore
To view our full calendar of events visit www.northdevonhospice.org.uk
Charity Golf Day at Saunton
27 JUL
Grab your teams of 4 and tee up for a relaxing game of golf at one of the most beautiful courses in Devon Saunton Golf Course. More info at northdevonhospice.org.uk
Mission: Unbreakable
OCT
One of our toughest challenges - a 10k of mud, marsh, rivers and gruelling obstacles - can you handle it? More info at missionunbreakable.org.uk
Ken Green’s Family Football Festival
03 JUN
A fun packed festival of football for all, Under 8’s, Under 10’s, Under 13’s and an adults game northdevonhospice.org.uk
Hallsannery English Country Garden Teas
17 JUL
View the stunning grounds and enjoy delicious cakes and a cream tea at Hallsannery, Bideford, 2-5pm Tickets £5.00, Under 12s free northdevonhospice.org.uk
Holsworthy Coffee Morning
24 OCT
Relax at our Coffee morning in aid of The Long House Outreach Centre. All welcome Holsworthy Memorial Hall, Holsworthy, North Devon
Kindly sponsored by Bluesky Design and Print
North Devon Hospice, Deer Park, Barnstaple, EX32 0HU Tel: 01271 344248 info@northdevonhospice.org.uk
Registered charity number 286554