If you were invited to visit a hospice, would you go?

I remember walking towards the first hospice I ever visited, a children’s hospice, for an interview to join their Fundraising team. As I approached I felt nervous of what I might be about to see. The only image I had in my mind was the grey, sterile wards of hospitals. The only knowledge I had was of hospices being places you go to die. I hadn’t had the fortune of any of my own family members receiving help from a hospice in their later years. I hadn’t seen grandparents cared for in their final days anywhere other than the incredible, but often impersonal, NHS.

Was I about to see cold, clinical wards with children dying in beds?

Since that first day, my view on hospices has changed forevermore. I saw a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community, housed within colourful walls full of games, laughter and joy. Children running around and playing, making friends, music and memories. My time with St Joseph’s Hospice has been equally enlightening, showing that adult hospice care is also focused on providing the best quality of life from the moment of diagnosis until a person’s final days.

And this is what stunned me the most. Before my career took me to raising funds for hospices I had no idea how much they do. St Joseph's Hospice, and all others around the country, offer so much more than end-of-life care. They are positive and happy places, where people gain extended family in therapists, nurses, care staff and volunteers who are all committed to delivering the very best in palliative and holistic care. At the children’s hospice, families who used the services didn’t like that it was called a Hospice, as they felt this didn’t reflect everything that the charity provided to them. This word, “Hospice”, had initially made them hesitant about accepting help, thinking it was a message that their child was about to die. For many, this proved to be an unfounded fear and years of better wellbeing, access to opportunities and a sense of community followed.

If you visit a Hospice, these are just some of the things you might see:

🎮 Some of the most high-tech music, sensory equipment and VR devices that you’ll ever see, such as the chance to fly like an eagle over the rooftops of Paris

🛀 Peaceful and relaxing complimentary therapy rooms offering holistic treatments to patients and their loved ones including massage, acupuncture, reflexology and aromatherapy

📖 Heritage rooms full of history showcasing the impact of hospice care on improving the lives of seriously ill people. At St Joseph’s, logbooks of the first patient admissions dating back to 1905 are proudly on display

🧸 Specially designed interactive spaces for children and young people with activities, books and bespoke bereavement packs to make them feel safe and know that their loved one is in a place that will look after them

🌸 Beautifully curated gardens with calming greenery, trickling water fountains and a colourful array of flowers to help patients, family members and staff alike feel the benefits of connecting with nature (even in some of the least green cities in the world!)

❤ In the case of St Joseph’s, the surprise of a stunning 1930s chapel tucked into the building where people of all faiths and none are welcomed to seek comfort and support

🍹And all the other little touches, from drinks trolleys to accessible gym equipment, that make people feel like people, not patients

These are the things that hospices want to show you. There are sad days, and when grief is felt it is felt by all. But when the people around you understand loss, accept you and hold you throughout those most difficult of days, you know that you are not alone.

Now in my eighth year of working in hospices, I advocate anyone to go and have their preconceptions changed by visiting their local hospice. Help us bust some myths around what these vital organisations give to people who receive the life changing news of a life-limiting illness, and to their loved ones. If you would like to have your first hospice visit be at St Joseph’s Hospice, then we would be delighted to welcome you. You can get in touch via the methods below.

Thank you for reading,

Kat Elvin

Corporate and Community Engagement Manager at St Joseph's Hospice, Hackney

E: info@stjh.org.uk (or reach out to me directly here on LinkedIn)

T: 020 8525 6000

W: www.stjh.org.uk

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