A place of care and support
What is Martin House? The aim of Martin House is to provide familyled care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions. It is a place of care and support where children, young people and their families can access support from our team of nurses, doctors and therapists.
We have been supporting children and young people, and their families, from across West, North and East Yorkshire since 1987 and were the first children’s hospice in the north of England.
Each year, we support more than 400 families and over 170 bereaved families.
and practical care, end of life care and bereavement support.
A large number of children and young people are referred with degenerative conditions that cannot be cured. They may also be referred for lifethreatening conditions where curative treatment is not possible or may fail.
We also offer care and support to families in their own home. Anyone, including families, can refer a child or young person for support at any point, from diagnosis up to their 19th birthday.
Families can access a wide range of services, including planned care, symptom control, nursing
Our families are at the heart of everything we do and we value each member of the family as an individual with their own needs. We offer support to parents and carers, siblings and extended family members.
What does Martin House do? We provide personalised care to suit the individual needs of the children and young people who stay with us, and their families.
Emergency care We can arrange non-booked visits at short notice following a crisis with the child, or within the family, if a bed is available.
Planned care This allows the whole family to have a break from the stresses and strains involved in caring for a child with a life-limiting condition. The child can stay at Martin House on their own or with their family, and the care allows both the child and family to have support and some time out in whichever way suits them.
End of life care Sometimes, children stay with us at the end of their lives with their families. An important part of our work is to provide everything we can around the time of death, whether at Martin House or at home in partnership with other agencies supporting the family.
Community care We provide community care to families across our region in their own home, ensuring that they have access to specialist care visits from our team. This enables families to have some respite, where they can run errands or simply relax, knowing that their child is being looked after by our nurses who are knowledgeable about the complexity of the child’s needs. Community palliative care If the child or family wish to be at home at the end of the child’s life, then our team can help, often alongside other agencies supporting the family. Our team of doctors are able to offer specialist palliative care in the hospice, in hospital, and at home. Symptom control We understand that throughout the condition, new and recurring symptoms will occur. Our specialist team of doctors and clinical nurse specialists can help to manage these symptoms.
Care after death Following the death of a child the family may choose to stay with their child for up to five days at Martin House and access support whilst making funeral arrangements. We have special cooled bedrooms in the main house and in Whitby Lodge for this purpose. This support is available whether their child dies at home, in hospital, or at Martin House. We also accept cases where children or young people have died suddenly, up to the age of 25 years old. Bereavement care Bereavement support is offered to all families following the death of a child. Members of the care team visit families for a period of time. We have bereavement programmes to support all members of the family: mums and dads, brothers and sisters, and grandparents. Our bereavement team also offers support to families whose child had a life-limiting condition but who did not have the opportunity to use the hospice, and to families where their child died suddenly.
What can families find at Martin House?
The hospice has nine beds in the House, which caters for children, and six beds in Whitby Lodge, which caters for teenagers and young people. In addition, there are ten family bedrooms where parents and siblings can stay and three cooled bedrooms where children and young people can stay after death. Both houses share a large garden with outdoor play facilities, walkways and quiet areas.
Children and Family House Our children and family unit includes nine children’s bedrooms, assisted bathrooms and sensory, art, games and music rooms, all fully accessible and tailored to suit a range of physical needs. There is also plenty of space for other activities, as well as accommodation for parents and siblings. Whitby Lodge Almost half of the young people we care for are over the age of 13 and a large number of these are over the age of 16. Our sixbed unit, Whitby Lodge, offers young people more independence, with en-suite
bedrooms, jacuzzi baths and profiling beds, all suited to a range of physical needs. There is accommodation for partners, friends and parents, an open plan kitchen and dining area, and a state-of-the-art media room (the Den) for films, music and video games. The Chapel Nestled in Martin House’s spacious gardens, the chapel provides a light and airy multi-faith space, away from the main buildings, which is perfect for quiet reflection, children’s activities, and group meetings.
How can I find out more? It costs in excess of ÂŁ8 million each year to provide our services, the majority of which is funded by voluntary donations. The dedication and commitment of our supporters is therefore vital in enabling us to care for children, young people and their families across the Yorkshire region.
A huge number of people from different backgrounds support Martin House in a variety of ways. Whether you are a healthcare professional, a potential volunteer or a fundraiser, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to refer a child or young person with a life-limiting condition, or find out more about the work we do, please:
Call us: 01937 845045 (Main telephone) 01937 844569 (Fundraising) Email us:
appeal@martinhouse.org.uk
Visit our website:
www.martinhouse.org.uk
Write to us: Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People, Grove Road, Boston Spa, Wetherby West Yorkshire, LS23 6TX
Registered Charity No. 517919. VAT Registration No. 686 5694 67. Company No. 02016332