“We go in as strangers, and come out as friends”
Douglas Macmillan Hospice was delighted to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Hospice at Home service last month.
Dougie Mac took the bold step in 2001 of setting up the service with nine employees, but the team has now grown to 25. At this time, the Hospice saw the need for end-of-life care at home, with around 50% of people opting for home care.
Hospice at Home was started with almost £500,000 of cash from the Big Lottery Fund for the first 3 years, but is now funded by generous donations from the local community.
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]Chris Ekin, Director of Community Services, who helped to found Hospice at Home, said: “We originally set the service up because we felt there was an opening for end-of-life care at home. The service also provides support to relatives and carers of the patients.”[/box]
Margaret Mitchell, who chaired the Hospice at Home in 2003, added: “I want to congratulate all the staff who have been involved in providing the vital Hospice at Home service to the people of Staffordshire for the past 15 years.”
