What is a hospice?

A hospice takes care of people when they are very poorly. 

There are lots of people working at a hospice.

  • Consultant

    A doctor in charge of the person’s care. They give medications for pain, and other problems.

  • Nurse

    Makes sure the person and their families get everything they need to keep them comfortable.

  • Ward clerk

    Makes sure the ward runs smoothly.

  • Healthcare assistant

    Listens, talks and laughs with people and help them do the things they can’t do so well anymore.

  • Domestic assistant

    Keeps the hospice clean and tidy, and may also bring round meals to people on the ward.

  • Physiotherapist

    Helps people to move and use their bodies.

  • Occupational therapist

    Helps people with the things they love doing and have to do in everyday life, such as washing.

  • Speech and language therapist

    Helps people to speak as well as to swallow more comfortably if they have difficulties.

  • Dietician

    Helps people eat the right things when they are ill.

  • Community nurse specialist

    Gives advice about how best to manage being ill at home.

  • Complementary therapist

    Helps people by gentle touch and relaxation such as massage or meditation.

  • Psychological therapist

    Helps people with their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes they are called a counsellor or clinical psychologist.

  • Social worker

    Helps people with feelings as well as practical things like work, money and housing.

  • Chaplain

    Visits people to chat about anything that would be helpful and can pray with a person.

This amazing team try and make a sick person feel as comfortable as possible, so they can do the things they love.

They might:

  • Give medicines to help with pain

  • Help people move their bodies

  • Help with thoughts and feelings

This kind of care is sometimes called palliative care.

You say it like this:

‘pally – a – tive’

How is it different from a hospital?

Hospices do not focus on trying to cure illnesses; instead hospices work to make a person as comfortable as possible.

People can stay at a hospice because:

  1. They would like a break, and their families would like a break from caring.  

  2. They would like some help with a problem caused by their illness. They usually go home again when they are feeling a bit better. 

  3. They decide to come to the hospice at the end of their lives and will die there. The hospice team will look after them and their family right to the end.


Lets look inside a hospice

Hospices can look and feel very different from hospitals. They are often smaller buildings, quieter and less busy.

Pip’s rules for visiting a hospice or a hospital

  • Things you can do

    Laugh

    Talk to the nurses and doctors

    Colouring In

    Read books

    Play with toys by the bed

  • Things you can’t do

    Shout or be super noisy…
    because some people might be sleeping

    Run about…
    because you might accidently knock something (or somebody) over

    Play with the machines…
    or plastic tubes that help sick people

Can you think of some other rules?

Sometimes people have hospice care at home.

 

What does this mean?

A special team of people who are there to help the sick person will visit the home, and make sure the person is comfortable, can move around as much as they need to, and do all the necessary things such as going to the toilet and cleaning themselves.

You might start to see new special equipment being used in the house, more nurses coming and going, and perhaps different rooms being swapped about, like the lounge becoming a bedroom.