Strathcarron Hospice: Onwards and upwards...

Our Hospice@Home service has not only grown and consolidated, it has maintained exemplary standards, being graded as ‘‘excellent’’ for three years running by the Care Inspectorate.

Our Compassionate Neighbours project has also been a great success, expanding our community befriending services and engaging communities to help people with long term conditions plan ahead.

We have also introduced QELCA (Quality End of Life Care For All) courses for care homes, Forth Valley Intensive Care Unit and community hospitals to provide practice based learning and support the delivery of better end of life care in other clinical settings.

The hospice has achieved gradings of very good or excellent in all Healthcare Improvement Scotland reports, a welcome affirmation of our care standards.

We have commenced development of a rehabilitation model focussing on facilitating patient independence and discharge home where possible.

We have also introduced patient transfer initiatives to minimise the need for unnecessary discomfort from having to travel for tests and procedures, including the purchase of an in house ultrasound and an automatic defribillator. A new carers’ group with regular six week support and training has also been established.

Our information technology has seen significant investment and improvement, our grounds and buildings have been reviewed to establish redevelopment needs, and our day care unit has undergone a complete refurbishment. We have also opened a further two retail outlets, taking the total to 16, as well as improving and developing the existing shops.

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We have developed and grown our social media channels and created a brand new website to facilitate improved communications out in the community.

We have also produced an information leaflet for all health professionals, outlining our full range of services and the referral processes.

To have achieved all this – and more – is quite incredible and we are very grateful for the support of our communities which helped to make it happen.

Together we are making a difference.