End of Life Care Appeal
Help us to fund additional comforts and create better environments for patients coming to the end of their lives and for their loved ones. Small changes will make a big difference at a time when it's needed most.
End of Life Care Appeal
When someone is cared for in hospital or at home at the end of their life, we only have one chance to get it right. Our NHS staff are dedicated to making sure that people are comfortable, comforted and have as many of their wishes met during the last days and hours and make sure that their loved ones are taken care of too.
The SWAN end of life and bereavement model of care has been introduced across our hospitals and within our community services to help ensure that everybody receives the best possible care from the NHS at the end of their life. MCH Charity has worked closely with clinical teams to identify ways in which we, with your help, can have the most impact on patients and their loved ones throughout this difficult time. We have launched this appeal to raise funds for several projects which will support the excellent work that is already being done and now we urgently need your help to make these projects become a reality.
Liz Fullerton Nurse Consultant, Specialist Palliative Care said 'Supporting patients who are at the end of their lives is an incredibly important part of the care provided in hospital. Important not just for patients but for their families and loved ones too. We are so pleased to be working with the Mid Cheshire Hospital Charity whilst they support clinical teams to further improve the way patients and their loved ones spend their last days together.
Our approach through the SWAN Model of End of Life and Bereavement Care is to offer support to patients in their last days of life and to their families into bereavement. It focuses on what is important to the patient and enables staff to think outside of the box when delivering end of life care for each individual person’s needs.
With support from Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity patients and families who have been identified as approaching the end of their life will not just have support from clinical staff but from specially trained volunteers too, and a range of items and refurbishments which will make such a difference. We are striving together to improve the care we can provide.'
Comfort packs, sleeper chairs and relatives’ rooms
When someone comes into hospital unexpectedly and very unwell loved ones, who want to be with them immediately, might not have time to prepare themselves to be in hospital for many hours or even days. Providing loved ones with a comfort pack which contains a few essential items such as wipes, dental pack, and tissues can help tide them over and shows that someone is thinking of their needs too.
In those final days it’s so important that people can spend the night close to their loved ones, and sleeper chairs, which can recline or fold out into a flat bed can help them to be comfortable and get some rest whilst staying close by.
Other small items which can make a big difference to patients and their loved ones include things like radios, comfy blankets, soft ‘mood’ lights, hot drink making facilities and nice crockery.
Access to fresh air and being close to nature
Spending lots of time in hospital under such difficult conditions can be very stressful. We want to provide a dedicated, calming outside space where loved ones can get some fresh air away from the ward environment.
If possible, we also want to adapt wards with attached outside spaces to enable patients at end of life to go outside to feel the sun (or rain) on their face, and to be close to nature for one last time.
Care at home
Some people want to spend their last hours or days at home and wherever possible the NHS teams caring for them will help to make this happen. We want to fund special ‘just in case’ bags to transport medication home from hospital and other items such as camera devices to enable people caring for someone at home to leave the room for a few minutes whilst still being able to see and hear their loved one.
Making memories
The minutes and hours after someone has died will be some of the hardest a loved one ever has to go through and it’s essential that they are supported as much as possible during this difficult time. Bereaved people will keep these memories with them forever, so everything done at this time will potentially have a big impact on the rest of their lives.
Beautiful memory boxes containing a range of ways to capture special moments and items like finger print making kits, organza bags to hold locks of hair and good quality cloth bags to take their loved ones’ personal items home in are simple but important touches.
Essentially, the appeal will fund items specifically for children who have lost a close relative to help them understand and cope with their grief during those early hours and days and to create memories which need to last a lifetime.
Saying goodbye
People who couldn’t be with their loved one when they died have the option to spend precious time with them in the Emergency Department, or hospital mortuary viewing rooms. The appeal will fund much needed improvements to these spaces making them more comforting by adding more comfortable furniture and facilities and by improving the feel of the environment with softer lighting, thoughtful colour schemes and bespoke artwork.
Knitted Hearts
Can you or someone you know knit? We need a stock of knitted heart pairs for people who are approaching the end of their life and their loved ones.
One of the hearts is given to the patient to hold and the other one is given to their loved one.
This keepsake illustrates that their hearts are always together. This is a small but important gesture which we know lots of people take comfort from.
The size of each heart should be no bigger than 10x10cm. Please ensure pairs of hearts are in a matching colour and size using clean wool. The colour is your choice.
Please contact the charity to arrange to drop the hearts off or alternatively, you can send the hearts in the post. Seal and tape the hearts in a plastic bag, such as a freezer bag, and add a sticker with the date of posting on them before packing in an envelope. Make sure to include your name and email or postal address.
Please send us in your paired hearts to:
MCH Charity
Leighton Hospital
Middlewich Road
Crewe
CW1 4QJ
Speak to us about getting involved today so we can make a difference tomorrow.
Call us: 01270 273248
Email: charity@mcht.nhs.uk
Let's get social - find us on Facebook and Twitter @mchcharity
Donate to the End of Life Care Appeal
Dare to bungee! This July or October challenge yourself to a 300ft bungee at the beautiful Tatton Park
How can you help?
We know that we are surrounded by amazing communities who will understand how important this appeal is and the lasting difference it will make to so many people every year.
If you are able to support the appeal, either by making a one off donation, by becoming one of our regular donors, or by doing your own fundraising, we would love to speak to you.
We can provide support and resources such as t-shirts, collection buckets, help with setting up online giving pages and much more.
Contact us by email or phone, details above.
Get it in your calendar now! Wednesday 11 December - grab your best Christmas jumper, pull on those festive socks, treat yourself to a yuletide themed dress, suit or tie!Tell all your colleagues and friends to join in and make a festive day of it. Wear It Festive and donate £2 to our End of Life Care Appeal.
Donating in memory of a loved one and Much Loved online tribute pages
Many people find comfort in being able to honour their loved one by raising money in their name to say thank you to the NHS for the care they received throughout their lives or during their end of life care.
If you have lost someone and would like to donate to, or fundraise for the appeal in memory of your loved one we’re here to help. We can provide donation envelopes and bespoke collection cans for funerals and can liaise with your funeral director about getting the money to us so that you don’t have to worry about it.
We have partnered with the charity Much Loved, an online platform where you can create virtual memory pages. This is a free facility and there is no obligation to ask for donations on your page, but if you did want to collect donations from your loved one’s funeral, or from fundraising done in their name it is a beautiful way to share photos and memories with family and friends which you can keep forever. You can also use this service to provide information about the funeral. For more information click here.
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