Leading Derbyshire and borough-based hospice, Treetops, has been celebrating Hospice Care Week by highlighting their care in the local community and dispelling some common myths along the way.
Is a hospice a sad place? Do hospices just care for people with cancer? When is the right time to contact a hospice? These are all questions answered by the charity throughout the national profile-raising week which ran from 10th to 14th October.
Erewash Sound helped launch the week, broadcasting their breakfast and daytime shows live from the hospice building, based in Risley.
Treetops staff, volunteers and patients joined Erewash Sound presenters Paul Stacey and Dan Martin to talk about the hospice care available for local people along with the importance of volunteering and supporting the end-of-life charity.
During the week, Treetops is promoting its latest podcast featuring Director of Clinical Services, Phil Shreeve, answering a range of questions about hospice care.
Phil explained the importance of addressing misconceptions about the hospice. He said: “Unless you’ve visited Treetops or accessed some of our services, it can be hard to imagine what it’s like here, what we do, and who we help.
“Treetops is a very warm and welcoming place. Yes, it's a place where we have some difficult conversations but we’re here to help people work through those difficult feelings, feel empowered and enabled. As a result of that, it’s actually a very upbeat place to work and very positive.”
Treetops Hospice provides emotional support and nursing care for adults with life-limiting conditions, and those who’ve been bereaved.
Phil continued: “Another common myth is that we’re here just for people with cancer. Originally, hospices did focus on helping people manage the symptoms and complexities that come with cancer but treatment for cancer is now significantly different.
“The vast majority of people who have cancer at some point in their life, are treated to a point where they're cancer free, and they're getting on with their lives. So, hospices have evolved to use their expertise and knowledge to support people with other life-limiting conditions.
“At Treetops, we support people who have cancer, and we also care for patients who have heart disease, respiratory disease, long term conditions like dementia, neurological conditions like Huntington’s Disease, and people that are living with frailty.
“We are very much here to support people right from that very early stage when they are given the news that that their life might not be as long as they thought it was going to be, and beyond.”
For more information about Treetops and Hospice Care Week, head to www.treetops.org.uk or call 0115 9491264
Treetops is one of more than 200 charitable hospices across the UK taking part in Hospice Care Week, led by the national hospice and end of life care charity, Hospice UK