Do you know that not everyone who is cared for by a hospice is in their final weeks or days? Or that hospices also provide care and support for the families of the people they look after?
Hospice UK…
National palliative care charity Hospice UK has released the findings from a recent survey about how the public perceive hospice care, and what they know about hospices. While the results show that 92% of people say hospices are “an important asset to their community” and 82% agree that hospices are “the best way to help people die peacefully and with dignity”, there are still many myths to dispel and services to promote.
The past 50 years…
Hospice care has come a long way in the 50 years since Dame Cicely Saunders spearheaded the modern hospice movement and we at The Myton Hospices are continually working to promote the good work we do in Coventry and Warwickshire. However, the survey highlights some other gaps in the public’s knowledge about the care provided by the UK’s 220 charitable hospices:
- 20% of people surveyed think hospice care is only for people in their last days of life, suggesting they are unaware it is available to people with terminal and life-limiting conditions from diagnosis until their dying moments.
- Only 70% of people surveyed knew emotional support such as counselling is provided by hospices; 55% knew they offered spiritual support and just 39% knew complementary therapy was one of the services hospices offer.
What Myton has to offer…
At The Myton Hospices we are continually trying to ensure people know as much as possible about the services and care we offer – and that it is completely free of charge. You can find out more about coming to Myton here.
You can also find out more about our staff, volunteers, supporters and trustees by clicking here.