Information for Professionals

Hospice at Home
 

Please click here for a Hospice at Home Leaflet

Please click here for a Hospice at Home Referral Form

This service was set up as a joint venture between Avon health Authority, Marie Curie Cancer Care and St. Peter’s Hospice in October 1995. However, since June 2000 it has been run solely by St. Peter’s Hospice with some financial support from the health Authority.

OUR AIMS:

• To enable patients who want to remain at home during their last few days of life to receive 24 hour nursing care
• To prevent inappropriate admission to hospital at this time by caring for the patient at home until a hospice bed becomes available
• To support the Primary Care Team (GP and District Nurse) and increase nursing input
• To support the family/friends

HOW DOES THE SERVICE WORK?

• Patients are usually referred by either their District Nurse, GP, Hospice Community Sister or the Hospital Palliative Care Team.
• If the patient is not already known to the hospice, an assessment visit may be necessary by a member of the hospice team.
• Once the referral has been accepted, the Hospice at Home nurses are contacted and a Rota is set up

The nurses will work a shift system as follows

7.00am – 2.00pm

2.00pm – 10.00pm

10.00pm – 7.00am

They will liaise and update each other at each shift changeover. Every effort will be made to provide continuity from the established team. However, an agency nurse may be used occasionally.

This service is free to the patient.

The GP and District Nurse will continue to visit and monitor the patient’s symptom control and comfort.

The Hospice Community Sister will maintain contact offering expert advice and support. The sister will assess every few days and the service may be withdrawn if the patient’s condition stabilises. It could, however, be restarted if needed at a later date.

WHAT IS IT?

In the Autumn of 1995 a new service was launched in Bristol to provide 24 hour nursing support for terminally ill patients and their carers at home in the last week of life. The service has been designed to support patients who wish to die at home (regardless of diagnosis), by providing 24 hour nursing input, and medical advice, alongside the services provided by the patient’s primary health care team.

WHO PROVIDES IT?

The service was initially set up as a collaborative venture between Avon Health Authority, Marie Curie Cancer Care and St. Peter’s Hospice. In June 2000, St. Peter’s Hospice took full responsibility for the service with ongoing financial support from Avon Health Authority.

The service is provided by both trained and untrained nurses who have all received some training in palliative care.

Clinical supervision and support is provided by the St. Peter’s Hospice Community Team and Specialist medical advice is available via St. Peter’s Hospice medical team.

The service is free to the patient.

CRITERIA FOR REFERRAL

• Ensure agreement from GP for referral

• The patient has expressed a wish to remain at home to die

• The family/friends have stated they wish the patient to remain at home

• The patient is in the later stages of a terminal illness

LENGTH OF SERVICE

Currently provision is for up to 7 days. The need to continue the service will be reviewed by the Hospice Community Sisters every few days and may be withdrawn if the patient’s condition stabilises. It could, however, be reintroduced if needed at a later date.

Admission to hospital or hospice may be necessary if the service is not available.

Read how to make a referral