Hospice care week - this is what it takes

Hospice Isle of Man celebrates Hospice Care Week

“This is what it takes”

From Monday 5th to Sunday 11th October, Hospice Isle of Man is marking ‘Hospice Care Week’ by joining with hospices nationwide to celebrate ‘what it takes’ to provide hospice care, and give our staff, volunteers and supporters the recognition they deserve.

Do you know what it takes?

Hospice Isle of Man is proud to offer a wide range of services which extend both beyond end of life care and our building including Community Nursing, Hospice at Home, Psychological Support, Lymphoedema Clinic, Rehabilitation Support, Chaplaincy, Social Work, Bereavement Support, Complementary Therapies, Day Therapy Services and much, much more.

‘You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life’.

Inspired by the founder of the Hospice Movement, Dame Cicely Saunders, Hospice Isle of Man is committed to supporting you to live well, your way, to the end of your life, whilst going above and beyond to deliver what matters to you. The hard work and commitment of such a passionate and caring multi-disciplinary team really shows what it takes. We are so proud that our Hospice Isle of Man doctors, nurses and volunteers work so compassionately to provide dignity, privacy and choice to our patients and their families, that they have often been described as “walking angels”.

We also house our purpose-built Children’s Hospice, Rebecca House, which not only supports children and their families at end of life, but offers a home from home environment in which physical, emotional, recreational and spiritual care is offered to children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, supporting them to relax and have fun. Our new, coming soon Rebecca House playground has been partly funded through the fantastic fundraising efforts of 8 year old Dylan Walton who attends Rebecca House. Designed to remove the restrictive barriers often found in conventional playgrounds, our playground will offer a brightly-coloured, sensory-filled, fun, safe and supportive space for the children to just be children and enjoy themselves free from restrictions.

Each year we need to fundraise over £4.5 million towards our running costs at Hospice Isle of Man, so every pound raised, hour volunteered or service offered, really does make a life-changing difference. In celebrating what it takes, we would like to extend a heart-felt thanks to all of our supporters past, present and future, for your incredible generosity. All funds raised stay on Island and enable us to continue providing our vital care completely free of charge to those who need it. A huge thank you.

Of course we wouldn’t be able to deliver all of our services without the support of our wonderful volunteers who save us in the region of more than £1million a year. It takes someone special to volunteer for Hospice and we are so fortunate to have almost 500 wonderful local volunteers who support us in our shops, on reception, at events, driving patients, gardening, therapy support and more. Through their honourable efforts we have more resources to contribute to our patient care and advocate our services amongst our community, to which we are truly grateful for. We are continually welcoming new volunteers young and old, so if you have some spare time and would like to give something back, please call our volunteer department on 647445.

Over the last 35 years we have developed innovative ways of extending our care beyond the building so that you and your loved ones have more choice in how you live, and where you receive end of life care when the time comes. Our care doesn’t stop with our patients, many of our services are also extended to those that matter to them. Whether you are a patient, family member, friend or carer, we will be here as long as you need us, because this is what it takes.

Hospice Care Week creates a platform for us to highlight our services, and celebrate those who contribute to what it takes. For us Hospice care is 24/7, 365 days a year, and we are always so grateful to those who work and volunteer for us and support us. These dedicated people ensure that we can continue supporting our patients, their families and carers both now and in the years to come.

This year our income has been significantly impacted by the COVID pandemic. This year more than ever we are appealing for your support.

How you can help.

• Donating online
• Playing our Manx Hospice Lottery
• Donating to or shopping at one of our 8 Hospice Shops or Superstore
• Setting up a monthly regular donation online
• Become a member
• Become a community fundraiser
• Sign up to our regular Newsletter
• Join our events and campaigns

To learn more about supporting Hospice Isle of Man please visit hospice.org.im/support-us

Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/hospice.iom