1 minute read

The difference you made to help create an inclusive hospice

Advertisement

We believe that everyone should be able to live well with incurable illness, to die with dignity in a place of their choice, and be supported in their grief, regardless of their age, race, socio-economic situation, gender, nationality, sexuality, disability or beliefs.

We are actively committed to welcoming people from all backgrounds to create an inclusive hospice that meets the needs of everyone in our community. Our Safe Harbour project was started in recognition of the fact that some people face additional barriers to accessing our care.

To help remove some of those barriers and build relationships with local communities, we held a ‘Hospice for all’ event which invited members from a diverse range of communities to visit the Hospice. The aim of this was to help improve their understanding of hospice care and the support we provide not just at the Hospice, but in the community too; and to explore some of the issues they experience in accessing hospice services. This event and the partnerships we are developing with marginalised communities will help us understand and provide better end of life care for all.

69 Safe Harbour contacts, whether in person or over the phone, with people who traditionally have had difficulty accessing hospice services

Vickie Peters, Safe Harbour project manager, said:

Many people feel apprehensive about receiving hospice care, and if you have additional needs, come from a deprived situation, have grown up with a different culture or language, or have experienced prejudice, it can feel even more daunting. We are here to put your mind at ease and to ensure you feel safe, supported and valued.

To improve inclusivity, we partnered with SignVideo so deaf people can video call us via a BSL interpreter. We have also introduced on demand video remote interpreting, which means staff are able to communicate with deaf people and visitors on the spot, as and when needed.

Marilyn’s story

Marilyn volunteers her time and skills to our Safe Harbour initiative which focuses on building relationships between St Helena and local communities experiencing inequality…

It’s easy to think everyone knows about hospice care. The problem is not everyone does because people live in different cultures and different spheres of life, so St Helena is not something that automatically comes to mind. From groups I’ve spoken to since I started volunteering, there is often already a mistrust of professionals because of inequalities already experienced. People are wary and tell us upfront what their expectations are, and we have to respect where they are coming from because only they know their truth.

This article is from: