These teams work out of the five-day hospices and care for people living with a life threatening illness who are more highly dependent and wish to remain at home during the latter stages of their illness. The teams provide general nursing care and support as well as psychological support and social contact.
Volunteers can help with household activities such as shopping, light gardening, dog walking as well as sitting with patients for periods of time while the main carer goes out, i.e. shopping, dentist or hairdressing.
A Night Care Service now operates across Lincolnshire and is seen as an extension to Hospice at Home and Day Care. A typical night starts at 10:00pm or 11:00pm (depending on location) with the nurse arriving at the patient's home, possibly with the family about to go to bed. The patients family are able to relax and perhaps get the best night's sleep they have had for a long time knowing their loved one is in safe hands. The night's work finishes at around 6:00am or 7:00pm (depending on location).
St Barnabas Hospice operate an open referral policy which means any of the following may refer:
- Support Sister/Macmillan Nurses within the Trust's catchment area.
- GP or other members of Primary Health Care teams.
- Member of the hospital multi-disciplinary team.
- Self-Referral by contacting our community team.
- A Day Hospice or In-patient Unit of the St Barnabas Hospice Trust.