Isabel Hospice Snapshot 2017/18

It costs ÂŁ13,000 a day to keep your Hospice running Donate here: isabelhospice.org.uk/donate

A year in the life of Isabel Hospice to March 2018 Thank you for helping people live well, for as long as possible and die with dignity in the place of their choice

Our vision is of a world where: Communities talk openly about death and dying. Where everyone lives life to the full and dies with dignity in the place of their choice, knowing their loved ones are supported. @IsabelHospice

@IsabelHospice

www.isabelhospice.org.uk 01707 382500 email enquiries@isabelhospice.org.uk website tel.

61 Bridge Road East, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1JR Registered Charity Number: 1046826

IsabelHospice2018_SnapShot_210x210_FINAL_V2.indd All Pages

01/08/2018 21:02

We cared for 1,555 patients last year

Hospices are amazing charities.

However, many people think that they are simply a building, where you go in the last days of your life to be cared for by wonderful staff. Of course this is true, but it is only a small part of our story.

In this review, you will read that of the 1,555 patients we cared for last year, a relatively small number, 153 people were cared for at the In-Patient Unit, with the majority living, and dying at home.

That means that 1,402 people were supported and cared for in their homes, and/or at one of our Living Well with Isabel Community Hubs.

We believe that living well is as important as dying well, and these are two of the main pillars on which Isabel Hospice care is built.

As we look back over the year to March 2018, you will read how our patients and their families have been supported to do this, and the goals we are working towards over the next 5 years to enable us to care for more people, earlier in their journey, by collaborating with and educating our communities.

More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 03

We need to raise ÂŁ13,000 a day to continue to provide our free care to local people

One of our key aims is to care for more people with a non-cancer diagnosis.

Last year, on average, this was 32% of referrals, rising to 40% in March 2018, which means we are opening up Hospice care to more people with other diseases.

04 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

Hello!

I’m May, the new Isabel Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialist, I work with patients with heart failure.

One of our aims as a team is to dispel two of the myths about hospices – that a hospice is just for people who are dying and that only people with cancer can benefit from our services.

I’m part of an amazing, diverse Hospice family, offering a care plan that is not intended to cure a patient’s underlying disease, but focuses on improving quality of life as well as reducing physical and emotional pain.

If you have a life-limiting illness, Isabel Hospice cares for you and your family. All our care is free and can be provided in your home, at our Living Well community hubs or our In-Patient Unit. We work alongside other healthcare providers and aim to increase the number of people we help over the next five years.

May supervising a heart failure Fatigue & Breathlessness session

We have just started some dedicated care for people living with heart failure, helping them to live well for as long as possible – helping them to understand how Isabel can help them alongside the other professionals that already support them.

The care we provide is only possible because of the generosity of you, the local communities we serve. We have to raise over £4.9m every year so we can continue to provide our care for free – that’s £13,000 every day from your donations, fundraising events and the items you donate to (and buy from) our shops, Without your support we could not provide the care we do – our purpose is ‘together we care’ and this is one example of how we do it.

I hope you enjoy finding out more about the work of the Hospice over the last year.

Best wishes May More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 05

Care at home

Last year 1,206 patients were supported and cared for at home by our 13 community Clinical Nurse Specialists, our Hospice at Home team, our Doctors and our Therapists who together, made 11,816 home visits.

In the last year, on average we cared for people for 90 days but this doesn’t tell the whole story, as we increasingly care for people over many months and years. For some people our care is just for a few hours, whilst for others it lasts for 5 years or more.

As the last weeks of life approach, our community doctors, nurses and therapists work alongside Hospice at Home and Rapid Response Teams aiming to provide a ‘good death’ at home.

Through our recently formed Enhanced Hospice at Home team, we are able to deliver a level of specialised care mirroring care a patient may expect at our In-Patient Unit. This new model of care has been introduced in response to patients telling us that they want to be cared for, and die, at home, rather than at our In-Patient Unit or hospital.

The community team works seven days a week and a night-sitting service is also provided, so that carers are able to get a good night’s sleep.

11,816

home visits were made 06 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

Rob’s Story “Rob was a patient of the hospice for five years, receiving support that enabled him to live at home and stay out of hospital. Rob had a very strong will to live, but he also had very high quality care at home that kept him happy, comfortable and free from infection.

The hospice’s palliative consultant visited him regularly and her invaluable experience in managing complex medical conditions meant that she was able to control multiple symptoms. He trusted her absolutely and looked forward to her visits. This continuity of care was vital to the stability of his health and his mental wellbeing. He was supported throughout this period by fortnightly visits from the Hospice at Home nurse, who became a treasured friend, as well as providing welcome respite periods for me. She was able to make him comfortable and relaxed in his day chair (no easy task), keeping a close eye on his hydration and general health, whilst massaging his feet and having meaningful chats about life.

When it came to the end of his life, he was able to die peacefully at home, with dignity as was his wish, fully supported by the Hospice, meaning that he and his family were not alone at this difficult time and that he was pain free and comfortable.” Sue, Rob’s wife

Sheepla’s story “Isabel hospice was introduced to us when Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The Hospice enabled my Dad to remain at home where he wished to be for the end of his life. They helped us address the “elephant in the room” which was helping us to talk to our Dad about his end of life, his wishes, his feelings, our feelings.

Our Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialist was brilliant but we would not expect her to be available 24/7 and that is where the Advice Line came in. One weekend we needed to manage Dad’s pain relief. He was in so much pain that we called 111 and were told the district nurse would be a few hours. I then remembered about the 24 hour Advice Line. They talked me through everything straight away, with Dad’s notes to hand. They told me I was doing a great job and reassured me that Dad’s pain relief would kick in very soon, which it did.

Without that Advice Line reassurance I would have felt helpless, and guilty that I was not managing Dad’s care correctly.

I would have felt like ringing 999 all the time.

Most importantly, after I’d rung the Hospice, Dad would feel reassured because I would tell him I had spoken to a nurse.”

24 Hour Urgent Advice Our 24 hour advice line is for our patients, local people with palliative care needs, their families and healthcare professionals.

Anyone calling the direct, dedicated number will have their call answered, around the clock, by an Isabel Hospice Registered Nurse.

The nurse has access to our patient’s records and can provide advice, support and reassurance.

Without that Advice Line reassurance I would have felt helpless

hello

More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 07

In-Patient Unit (IPU)

Our short stay In-Patient Unit is a mix of private en-suite rooms, and two small bays, one with four beds and one with three.

Patients are admitted so that our consultant, doctors, nursing staff and support assistants, working alongside our therapists, can help to ease problems like pain or sickness. This helps to reduce fears and worries and help them to get strong enough to be able to go home again.

32% of patients were discharged after a spell of care at the Unit whilst for others it is a safe haven in which to spend their last days.

32% of people who benefitted from a spell of care at our In-Patient Unit went home again

153

patients supported in our In-Patient Unit 08 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

Amy’s Story Amy (36) was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer when her baby, Robert, was 8 months old. “It got to the stage where I was so unwell and in pain that I couldn’t even walk downstairs to get my baby his milk.

My Hospice CNS (clinical nurse specialist) and the Hospice community doctor worked really hard to help me come to terms with being admitted to the In-Patient Unit. If I was going to leave my baby for any length of time, there had to be a really, really good reason for it.

The first 3 nurses I saw, all asked me about Robert. I felt like I was seen as a mother, a person – not just another patient.

Once I’d been admitted to the Unit and began to feel better, I could pick Robert up and give him his lunch. The Hospice staff were incredibly supportive, professional, kind and confident, and that in turn made me confident about going home. Isabel Hospice is helping me make the most every day, by keeping me as well as possible, so I have as much time as possible with my husband and my baby.”

Natasha’s Story Two years ago, when Natasha (43) was told by her hospital Specialist Nurse that she had been rejected for a lung transplant and that there was nothing else they could do, she recommended Natasha that came under the care of Isabel Hospice. At the time, Natasha didn’t feel ready for Hospice care.

“I thought a Hospice was a building where you go and don’t come out. I went to the Hospice Living Well sessions and I was so nervous, but I needn’t have been. I come along and talk, I do artwork and have reflexology which is just amazing. I also exercise here, as at home I’m in a wheelchair. On the days I don’t come to the Hospice, my husband can see my mood is low and coming really lifts me. Deborah, the art therapist has been helping me write letters and make memory boxes. I came here so fearful, and now I have friends. It’s helping me along the path and I know that when the time comes, I have relationships I can rely on.”

Living Well sessions

Living Well with Isabel helps patients live well for as long as possible with sessions at our Living Well hubs, in 3 locations across eastern Hertfordshire, and in patient’s own homes.

We provide a wide range of sessions for people dealing with the impact of a serious illness, from physiotherapy to singing! Some people pop in for a complementary therapy, others stay for a whole day of activities. People think Hospices are only for cancer patients, but many of our patients have other illnesses such as end stage renal, heart, lung or liver conditions or complex neurological diseases such as MND. Some want help with physical problems like pain or breathlessness while others welcome support in dealing with their own fears, concerns about family or financial worries.

224

patients attended 4,227 Living Well sessions, that is 60% more people than last year More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 09

Family and Bereavement Support Our counselling and bereavement service gives patients, their family and carers time and space to help support them while they prepare for, and then live with, the death of a loved one.

Our team of bereavement support volunteers, our staff and chaplaincy team support the spiritual, emotional and psychological needs of all patients and their loved ones.

595

patients, family members and children were supported with counselling 163 children 432 adults 10 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

Evie’s story Evie’s Dad was cared for by the Hospice when she was 5. We were able to support her whilst he was in hospital, nearing the end of his life, and since his death Evie has benefitted from our Children and Teenage Support group (CATS), family days at Paradise Wildlife Park, group counselling, sessions with her Mum as well as 1:1 counselling.

Russell’s Story “I have been hit very hard. Lisa was my whole life, and whilst going through this experience, Lisa wanted me to have someone to talk to.

I then started talking to the Isabel Hospice counsellor. She has been just wonderful. Men tend not to talk, or be seen to be upset but let me tell you they do! They tend to keep things to themselves. I’d never thought of therapy before, but with Pola I can be myself, tell her my deepest fears, she is neutral and doesn’t judge. There was no one else I could talk to like I talk to Pola, and without her, I’m not sure how I’d be, but with her help I’m getting through the days without the love of my life.”

Our volunteers Evie and her Mum have benefitted from counselling

Volunteers provide support in every area of our work from hosting visitors at our In-Patient Unit, to working in our finance team, at our fundraising events and helping run our shops. They are at the heart of all that we do.

Dom’s Story

98,000 hours of volunteer time has been given to the Hospice at a value of £882,000*

Dom is 21 and started volunteering for the Hospice finance team whilst studying BSc Economics at Loughborough University. He saw the call for volunteers in his local Isabel Hospice charity shop and says he is finding the experience invaluable because whilst he volunteers he is gaining hands on skills. The finance team have grown whilst I’ve been at the Hospice. They’re friendly and willing to teach and help me. I really enjoy what I do as it’s so varied. In my spare time I perform magic at the Hospice’s fundraising events. I’d recommend it to any young person needing to gain experience in the field they are studying. It gives you that edge when it comes to finding a job.”

*Based on National (Real) Living Wage

753

volunteers play crucial roles in every Hospice area More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 11

Making an Impact in Care Homes

All you have read about in this document reflects the work of the Hospice over the last year. We would like to share with you a new collaborative pilot project called EASE – Together we Care (Educate Advise Support Empower), which will empower staff in care homes to be confident in providing specialist palliative care, and result in happier residents who can freely express their future care wishes.

This is part of our five year strategy which is to work in collaboration with, and spread the knowledge of, palliative care to other healthcare providers through education and training.

We know that we are part of an increasingly elderly population living with multiple, often complex, health issues. Many of us move to residential or nursing care homes where staff manage palliative care needs on a daily basis, caring for more people at the end of life than anywhere else. Kirsty, the CNS for EASE said “Because care home staff work so hard and deserve the training invested in them, this project will undoubtedly have positive results for both staff and care home residents. I have started working closely with 4 homes to improve staff confidence and knowledge in offering expert 12 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

“Through training staff in palliative care, and empowering them to use it, the aim of EASE is to prevent care home residents going into hospital unnecessarily and to enable them to die in the place of their choice.”

Kirsty - Clinical Nurse Specialist, EASE

palliative and end of life care. I work with care home teams, the GPs that support them, the residents and their families, tackling subjects such as advance care planning, having difficult conversations, supporting families and reducing avoidable hospital admissions at an already difficult time. I spend a morning and an afternoon every week in each home. Providing opportunistic informal teaching, providing an advisory service, introducing processes and reference files for the units, going on GP ward rounds and empowering the team and the residents to have a say in their care. I am keen to celebrate the good work of care home teams and believe everyone has a right to receive excellent end of life care and that should come from the people they are most familiar with and in the place they call home.”

we are working more collaboratively More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 13

Isabel Hospice Shops

We have 15 high street shops (we plan to open a further 4 shops this year) and a thriving e-commerce business which includes eBay and Amazon shops.

Our shops are spread across the communities we serve in eastern Hertfordshire. Hundreds of dedicated volunteers give their time to help them run smoothly, alongside a paid manager.

Please consider dropping in your pre-loved items to one of our shops, and signing up to gift aid whilst you’re there, to make your items worth 25% more to us when we sell them!

Could you volunteer in a shop, 3 hours a week?

14 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

We sold 688,669 items in our shops including 65,000 books and 122,503 items of ladies clothing

Education and Training

We want everyone living with a life-limiting illness to receive the best possible care and support so we are seeking to influence the care others provide, by offering a wide range of education sessions to as many health care professionals as we can reach.

We had a total of 1,392 attendances at 145 training sessions which included Isabel Hospice staff training as well as external education sessions. We also provide tailor made training sessions and have an Educational Specialist Dementia Lead, who is dedicated to providing specialist palliative training support for care homes.

145 training sessions were run, which were attended by 163 of our staff

More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 15

The Hospice in numbers

These are some of the key numbers you may be interested in from the past year.

Funding (Net Income) Fundraising net income NHS Shops

£2.8 million £1.7 million £473,000

Total Income

£4.9 million

volunteers have given us 98,000 hours of their time

£848,096

£

10%

34%

753

of benefits claimed on behalf of 194 patients and family members by our benefits advisor, working in partnership with Citizen Advice East Herts

56%

£

£

£4,371

was the average claim made

How your money helps

£39

pays for an hour of In-Patient nursing care 16 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

£50

will fill a car with petrol for our nurses to visit patients at home

£650

will sponsor our nursing team to care for a patient through the night in our In-Patient Unit

215

Key People Numbers

staff including clinicians, doctors, nurses, therapists, fundraisers, social workers, counsellors, administrators, a lay chaplan/pastoral carers and many more roles

£4

raised for every £1 spent on fundraising

£

153 patients were cared for at our IPU 288 people were cared for by Hospice at Home 1402 patients were cared for at home In March 2018, 45% of our referrals were for a non-cancer diagnosis

£

£277,000

1,555 patients were cared for across all our service areas

11,816 home visits were made

£

donated to us in memory of a loved one

£1.6m

gifted to us in Wills, ranging from £100 to £533,000

1,300 people ran 6,500km during our 2017 5k Bubble Rush and raised over £46,000

224 patients attended our Living Well sessions, 4227 times, an increase of 60% on last year 595 patients, family members and children were supported with counselling – this was made up of 163 children and 432 adults 145 training sessions were run, which were attended by 163 of our staff 90 days is the average time people are cared for by Isabel Hospice ranging from a few hours to over four years.

Key Retail Numbers

£5,000 £13,000 will sponsor our Hospice at Home team for a week

will keep our Hospice running for a day

Our shops sold 688,669 items in 395,787 transactions valued at £1.9 million 65,000 books were sold 122,503 items of ladies clothing were sold The highest value item sold were a set of 2 Baccarat glass candle sticks with a snake design. They sold for £1,070 in our eBay shop More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 17

In their own words One day the Hospice choir were practising in the lounge at the Unit.

It felt like we were preparing Mum for Heaven as the sound of the soprano voices drifted across the courtyard into her room and the sun shone. On the day she died, we were told Mum’s breathing had changed and we prepared ourselves. The nurses made Mum comfortable and we had time to say our own goodbyes in privacy and dignity.

Paul

It was a real privilege to know and care for Ken. We were able to keep him comfortable and support him and Mary, his partner of 30 years, at home. We felt proud to have been welcomed in to the family home in the way we were, and help Mary look after Ken. Hospice at Home team

We when we arrived at the Hospice, a volunteer was there to meet us with a cup of tea and some lunch. We hadn’t slept for days, and they just ‘knew’ what we needed. The room looked out onto the garden. We as a family felt safe, calm and reassured.

Debbie

I suffer from Motor Neurone Disease and I have been coming to Living Well for the last six months.

I really find the exercises help my condition. When I walk out of here I feel a hell of a lot better than when I came in. I can now see it’s not just about end of life care. It’s about people improving their living. For me, it’s the highlight of my week!

Alan

18 / A year in the life of Isabel Hospice

Bonnie Blue was brought up to Ted’s bedroom and placed in his arms.

She just snuggled up and slipped her hand into Ted’s. It was the most moving thing I’ve ever seen. Ted’s death was peaceful with a wonderful atmosphere, and everything we could have asked for.

Irene

How can you help?

Volunteer for us

Do you have a few hours a week you could donate to us on a regular basis? We are recruiting volunteers for our shops, In-Patient care, fundraising, and in finance and admin.

Full training is given.

To join our team call 01707 382517. www.isabelhospice.org.uk/volunteer

Drop in to one of our shops

Whether you are donating pre-loved goods or buying something, we would love you to pop by and support us. Don’t forget, by gift aiding your donation we get an extra 25% on top of the sale price! www.isabelhospice.org.uk/shops Our 16 shops can be found in: • Bishop’s Stortford • Hoddesdon • Buntingford • Sawbridgeworth • Cheshunt • Ware • Cuffley • Waltham Abbey • Hatfield Galleria • Waltham Cross • Hatfield x 2 • Welwyn Garden City x 3 • Hertford

Host or join an event

We have a fun filled calendar of events from walks and overseas treks to skydives to music filled evenings and open gardens. Alternatively you could put on a fundraising event yourself in aid of the Hospice.

We have a fundraising pack to help you plan it.

You can find out more at www.isabelhospice.org. uk/events

Become a lottery member

Will you join us and play the Isabel Hospice Weekly Lottery?

From just £1 every week, you could win one of 38 amazing cash prizes. Plus, you’ll also be automatically entered into our new annual Super draw where you could walk away with the £4,000 top prize just in time for Christmas! All you need to do is sign up to play. It’s that simple.

Sign up online at www.isabelhospice.org.uk/ lottery or ring our Lottery Team on 01707 382594 (Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.

Leave us a gift in your Will

Make A Will week runs each year in March and is an ideal time to make or amend your Will in return for a donation to the Hospice. Leaving us a gift, whether that is a fixed sum or a % of your estate is a wonderful way to ensure your gift helps future generations. www.isabelhospice.org. uk/giftsinwills

Make a donation

Isabel Hospice’s excellent work continues every day, throughout the year.

This year need to raise around £5 million to ensure we are there for those that need us the most. Any donation you make will be gratefully received and if you gift aid your donation, we are able to claim 25% tax back from HMRC at no cost to you.

Your donations really matter. For example, a regular donation of £10 month could provide three hours of effective bereavement counselling for a family member adult or child.

Make a big difference, make a regular gift at www.isabelhospice.org.uk/regulargift or a single donation at www.isabelhospice.org.uk/donate Thank you!

More • Earlier • Educate • Collaborate / 19

It costs ÂŁ13,000 a day to keep your Hospice running Donate here: isabelhospice.org.uk/donate

Our vision is of a world where: Communities talk openly about death and dying. Where everyone lives life to the full and dies with dignity in the place of their choice, knowing their loved ones are supported. @IsabelHospice

@IsabelHospice

www.isabelhospice.org.uk 01707 382500 email enquiries@isabelhospice.org.uk website tel.

61 Bridge Road East, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1JR Registered Charity Number: 1046826