Hospice Isle of Man

The lovely ladies of our Port Erin Hospice Shop held a fantastic ‘Cakes for Care’ event for us on Thursday 10th October! They all had a wonderful time, with a range of delicious cakes. An amazing £93 was raised! Thank you so much to the ladies and to everyone who popped in to support ‘Cakes for Care’🧁

Hospice Care: Myth vs Fact Hospice care is often shrouded in misconception. Many believe that it signifies giving up on hope. But the reality is far more positive! We’re exploring some of the myths associated with Hospice care and looking to shine a positive light on it: Myth: Hospice care is only for people dying of cancer Fact: Hospice care can benefit any patient facing a palliative diagnosis, where there is no cure - including those with cancer, renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), motor neuron disease or other life-limiting conditions. Choosing hospice is about making the most compassionate choice for loved ones in their final stages of life. Feel free to share and help others understand the true value of hospice care! #hospice #qualityoflife #positivity #mythbusting

The recent ‘Marie Curie Better End of Life 2024 Time to Care Report’ has highlighted that across England and Wales ‘recognition of palliative care needs was often considered too late.’ It is our vision to provide excellence in palliative and end of life care for our Island community – supporting those who need it from the moment they are eligible. Our team of Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) work closely with GP’s, hospital consultants and other health care professionals within the community to ensure joined up care coordination - enabling patient comfort and ensuring that life remains meaningful and fulfilling during one of life’s most critical periods. This is a vital component of our success in delivering expert care and supports our belief that we operate a world class facility, one which the Island community itself has created, and one that must be safeguarded for all our futures. Understanding palliative care can help you and your loved ones make informed decisions in a timely manner, ensuring a better end of life. Learn more about how we support you: https://lnkd.in/eWP27qjx

At the beginning of October, we were delighted to host our Chairman Chris Hall, here at Hospice, when he spent the day helping Tracy in our garden! It was a fabulous day for it👨🌾🌳 Chris said about his time in the gardens "It was extremely interesting and valuable. It was great to spend time with Tracey and see how passionate and committed she is and how she knew all the patients / families who were out enjoying the garden. There were also 5 corporate volunteers from RBSI so it was good to meet them, and enjoy a cup of tea and biscuits with them!" A huge thank you to Chris for all his hard work - him and all our other wonderful volunteers got absolutely loads done in the garden, and Tracy was super grateful💜

Fancy joining us for a Saharan Adventure in 2025?🐪🏜️ On 1st - 8th November 2025, enjoy a breathtaking trek in the vast Sahara Desert, the largest hot desert on the planet as you cross sand dunes, dried up riverbeds and sun parched earth. You will learn about the day-to-day life of the nomadic Berber people as you sleep under the stars and taste unique exquisite local cuisine whilst listening to the crackling campfire. You will also spend time volunteering at an exciting community project. The price is just your registration fee of £365 which is payable at the time of booking then you are asked to fundraise £2,650 which covers most of your trip costs and fundraising for Hospice Isle of Man. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please come along and join us for an information evening: 📅Date: Tuesday 12th November 2024 ⌚Time: 6pm 📍Location: Hospice, Strang We will tell you more about the trek and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions. Please private message our page, email us on fundraising@hospice.org.im or phone us on 672222 to secure your place at our information evening.

Our Singing for Wellbeing sessions have many benefits to those that attend including: Improve health-related quality of life, help improve your posture, increase the strength of your voice and many people with lung conditions say that singing helps them to feel less short of breath, more in control of their breathing and helps them manage their symptoms better. Anyone affected by life-limiting conditions or palliative care, their families and carers can attend these sessions. One of our attendees, Bev has given us a short quote about her experience with the group; “What a fun and friendly group💜 I can’t sing a note but it doesn’t matter because Heather, the singing teacher, sings so loud and she plugs her piano into a speaker so you can’t hear yourself or anyone else sing. It’s a different theme every week so it doesn’t matter if you miss a week. It’s my best hour of the week and it’s free!” Singing for Wellbeing takes place on a Wednesday from 12:30pm till 1:30pm. Please contact us on 647458 for more information.

Cath Cringle tells us how when Hospice stepped in to look after her husband Neil, she went from being his carer to being able to be his wife, in his time of need🕊️ Cath shares her touching story with us below💜 “My husband Neil was a member of the IOM Constabulary, starting as a cadet in 1970 and ending his career as Inspector in 2003, shortly afterwards beginning a second career as Borough Warden Manager for Douglas Council. He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of Blood Cancer, in 2017 and after initial treatment had 7 years of good health, during which time he became a volunteer driver for Hospice and Live At Home; roles he greatly enjoyed, having a love of driving and a desire to be useful. Sadly, he became unwell shortly after Christmas 2023 and was told his condition was terminal in February. Whilst all the family was devastated by this news, Neil remained calm and accepting and stated that his wish was to end his days in Hospice. I had never been into Hospice before and, when the time came for him to be admitted, I was very apprehensive about what I would find. Walking into the bright, modern building and feeling the warm, friendly atmosphere, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. After weeks of caring for Neil at home and all that entailed, I was now able to just be with him as his wife and not his carer. The move into Hospice undoubtedly gave Neil peace of mind, knowing that his pain would be controlled, and he would receive the care he needed. The wonderful staff were so loving, compassionate and capable. Nothing was too much trouble and their care extended to the family as well as their patient. Neil had a great sense of humour, which he never lost, and he enjoyed sharing a laugh with the nurses and HCAs as they took care of him. A special mention must go to the catering team who provided a wide range of delicious meals, which he really enjoyed, as did the family who were able to have lunch in Elaine’s Café, which is a warm and welcoming space run by Hospice volunteers. During the time he was there, myself and our two children were able to spend precious time with him as a family, spending many hours talking, laughing and remembering happy times. We were even able to hold our son’s birthday party in his room, where he was surrounded by all his family, including his four much loved granddaughters. There were balloons, cake, a little bit of fizz and a lot of laughter. A memory to treasure. Neil passed away peacefully with the children and I by his side. We were able to stay with him as long as we wanted and when the time came to go home, we knew that the staff who had cared for him when he was alive would perform their final duties with the same gentleness and compassion. I have since become a Hospice volunteer, as Neil was, as a way of supporting this wonderful and vital organisation and saying thank you for all they did for him and for our family.”

Thank you to Jane Harders for running development sessions on coaching, with both our SLT members and our people managers. We covered a range of topics including coaching as part of a leadership continuum, questioning types and the importance of adding just ‘one more ask’ into our day as a leader. Jane donated her time to run these sessions without charge, and we are so incredibly grateful for her time and her insights. Jane is an executive coach with 22 years’ experience. She’s worked with leaders and executives in a range of fast-paced organisations in the UK, Europe, USA and Middle East – so we were very lucky she made space in her diary to come and see us.

Angela and Suzanne, lovely supporters of ours have had the idea of creating a tin of pampering goodies to be distributed to those who are under Hospice care and their loved ones as a little ‘pick me up’ over the Festive season. These tins are now available to be sponsored and will be distributed along with a message which will pass on the best wishes of the sponsor. A great way to show you care this Christmas – please email us on fundraising@hospice.org.im or phone Angela/Suzanne if you'd like to get involved💜

Each of our teams hold a vital piece of the puzzle in making up Hospice Isle of Man. Our Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Team are a central part of our healthcare team. They are usually the first people you will come into contact with here at Hospice. They ensure that patients can access care in the place of their choice💜🕊️ Next, let's get to know Aileen Sharp. Aileen is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and is very well known to everyone here as she has been here for 22 years in total! 18 years on our IPU and 4 years as a CNS. What does a day look like in your role? "My normal day consists of an 8.30am start. I attend the 8.45am morning meeting with the rest of the CNS team, a Hospice at home representative, an In Patient Unit representative, medical doctor, and a social worker assistant. We discuss patients who are currently possible candidates for admission to Hospice, either community patients or hospital patients. We discuss bed allocation and those who require admission to the In Patient Unit for either terminal care or symptom management. We have an opportunity to discuss complex cases and the management plan for them. I then attend to those patients who are currently on my case load, those patients who need symptom management or terminal care, review their symptoms, and prescribe appropriate medications to alleviate those symptoms." What’s your favourite thing about working at Hospice? "Meeting the patients and families and being able to help them during a difficult time in their lives is probably one of the most rewarding things." Share a highlight story or a favourite memory from your time at Hospice. "There are some many stories to tell – one of the best memories was when I was working on the In Patient Unit and a work colleague arranged a solo singer to come into Hospice to sing Christmas songs to the patients we had in at the time and the staff. As you know, Christmas can bring lots of different emotions out in us all for various reasons, however on this occasion there was lots and lots of happiness, staff, patients, and their families were really full of the festive spirits, and I remember feeling great as all those who could join in came along to sing their hearts out, building lasting memories. One more highlight, this was one that touched my heart. I went to visit a wonderful lady who is on my caseload, she advised me that she was on her own over the Christmas period, following discussions with colleagues both Hospice In Patient Unit and this lady. She agreed to come in for respite over Christmas period so that she would not be isolated and to have company around her. Following this respite, I went to do my next review at her home and she handed me a cheque for £25,000 as a token of gratitude for what Hospice did for her and that we recognised that loneliness especially at Christmas can be a really difficult time for lots of people living on their own."