Galway Hospice a home from home

By Jacqueline Hogge Michael Craig, fundraising manager with the hospice, said anyone who has been in the position of using the service has a huge sense of gratitude for the care they and their loved ones received. â€Å“This appreciation has led to countless volunteers offering their time and fundraising efforts to support the work being done here,â€Â he said. â€Å“People are constantly giving back following their experience of the hospice and itâ€â„¢s hugely encouraging for the team here to know the difference we are making at such a difficult time in peoplesâ€â„¢ lives. â€Å“Up to 100 volunteers help keep the service running, from those providing transport to users of the day care centre from all corners of the county, to those who come into the inpatient unit to read to patients or help them with eating meals. â€Å“Things other people take for granted can be hugely difficult tasks for someone with a life-limiting condition and if it wasnâ€â„¢t for our team of dedicated volunteers I donâ€â„¢t know what we would do.â€Â People using the hospice do so in many different ways, with a range of services offered from respite care, to symptom control, psychological support and end of life care. Every detail, no matter how small is considered by the hospice team, in order to make life as comfortable as possible for their patients. All patient rooms are south or west facing, to ensure as much natural sunlight is visible, with fridges in every room to offer people the option of bringing their own food from home. En suite facilities include the small but important detail of covered mirrors to give patients the choice of whether or not they want to confront their physical appearance, in light of their illness. Conservatories extend out from the communal rooms, where each patient still enjoys a large degree of privacy, yet the social hub that these areas provide makes them a very important aspect of the inpatient unit. The conservatory areas also double up as accommodation for family members who want to stay overnight with their loved ones as the end of life approaches. Una Mac Dubhghaill is one of the nursing team who has been with the hospice from the beginning. â€Å“We are very lucky with the team we have here as it really is like an extended family and weâ€â„¢re very proud of the work we do,â€Â she said. â€Å“It certainly makes you appreciate what you have in your life but we do everything we can to make our patients comfortable and feel like this is their home away from home.â€Â And itâ€â„¢s not just about the patients. Every effort is made to support families whose loved ones are in need of hospice care, from the independence of tea making stations to a sitting room for some private time. Shower and toilet facilities are also available for those who want to spend as much time with their loved ones as possible. Those visiting from outside the area are offered the use of a self-contained apartment a short distance from the hospice that was donated by a family who volunteer at the centre. Barbara Cannon arrived at the hospice from England to visit her gravely ill brother Martin Kelly, and was overwhelmed by the service she experienced. â€Å“I was quite upset leaving the UK as Martin was very ill but when I arrived here the people were so warm and caring, even arranging for me to stay at the apartment up the road, so it took a lot of the stress out of it for me,â€Â she said. â€Å“There is no better place and the staff here are absolutely wonderful - Iâ€â„¢ll certainly be doing something to raise some money to support the work they are doing when I return home. Martin said there was no better place he could be and remarked the food alone was Grade A. An intentions book in the chapel is one way for patients and their families to express their thoughts, while the art room is another popular and powerful channel for the patients to convey their feelings. â€Å“People who have never picked up a brush before find art very therapeutic as it takes their mind off their illness, and allows them to develop their creative side,â€Â said Michael. â€Å“The paintings they create are then left for their families who find huge comfort in the pieces.â€Â Remembrance evenings are held every two months for recently bereaved families, who are also offered a range of counselling options at the hospice. â€Å“Weâ€â„¢re constantly amazed by the level of support we have from all corners of Galway, and further afield,â€Â said Michael. â€Å“Demand for the service continues to grow. The day care centre had 1,170 visits last year alone and our home care team has made 5,345 visits in the past 12 months. With our in-patient unit constantly full, there is an urgent need for expansion. â€Å“Galway people have taken ownership of the hospice since it was first talked about in the mid 1980s and the same people who were there at the beginning are still here today, both volunteers and those lending financial support. â€Å“One of our most popular fundraising initiatives has just been launched with the arrival of our woolly Easter chicks, which have been knitted by the ladies of St Nicholas Collegiate Church. â€Å“They will be sold over Cadbury crème eggs over the next few weeks and weâ€â„¢re hoping to top last yearâ€â„¢s total of €4,000.â€Â For further information on Galway Hospice log on to www.galwayhospice.ie or to make a donation contact Michael on 091-770868.