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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I tour the facilities?
Yes. Wherever possible, we are happy to show you and your loved ones around our facilities. Such visits must be booked in advance to minimise any inconvenience to our current patients. Speak to your Hospice Community Nurse Specialist, Hospice staff or to someone at reception to arrange a visit (there is also a virtual tour that can be accesed).
How can I access the services, and will I have to pay?
If you feel that our services would be beneficial to you, please speak to your doctor, GP or district nurse, who can refer you. You can also speak to a member of our hospice team to refer yourself. (If you do contact us directly, please be aware that we will contact your GP to notify them.) Once you are being cared for by the hospice, your Hospice Community Nurse Specialist, Day Services staff and In-Patient Unit staff can put you in touch with the right people to discuss other hospice services and support available to you and your loved ones.
Thanks to the generous support of those in our community, who donate, fundraise, shop with us and leave gifts in their Wills, we are able to provide all of our services free of charge to patients and their loved ones in our local area. Only 20% of our funding comes from the government.
If you contribute to private medical insurance, we may be able to secure a donation for the hospice from them. If this is the case for you, please inform a member of your Weston Hospicecare team.
How will you handle my information?
We receive a lot of personal information from you, your family and other services. We need this information so that we can provide you with best care and treatment. We do our utmost to protect any information you provide us with. If you have any questions or wish to see our full privacy policy, please ask a member of your Weston Hospicecare team.
Can I smoke in the hospice?
Smoking (including electronic and vapour cigarettes) on hospice grounds is both a fire and health and safety risk, so smoking is not allowed in or around the hospice. If you do smoke at home, we may ask you not to smoke while the hospice team is visiting.
We do have a dedicated smoker’s shelter available for patients only (please ask for details and hours), but visitors must leave hospice property if they do wish to smoke. The designated smoking area is not accessible in the dark and overnight. We understand that this can be difficult for some patients who regularly smoke, so we can offer a nicotine replacement programme to help.
Who can visit me in the IPU? Can I have visitors whenever I want?
We want you to feel at home in the IPU. Visitors, including children and pets, are all very welcome, but we do ask that they respect meal and rest times. There is a room where your visitors can make drinks and light meals. You may also bring your mobile with you so that friends and family can telephone you at any time.
What happens if I’m discharged? How would the discharge process be handled?
If you are discharged from any of our services, we can still offer you open access to us and help connect you with other services you might find useful. So, if you find you need more support after being discharged, please do get in touch.
• Hospice Community Nurse Specialist - If your symptoms become more settled, you may be discharged from your nurse’s active caseload until you feel you need support again. If this happens, please be assured that you will still have open access but we may need to speak with your GP again first.
• Day Services - Prior to completing your programme, we will review how you are and discuss your progress with you; we can then start to plan for your discharge. Any ongoing support needs will be discussed with you to see how these can best be met.
• Family Support Team - If you feel your emotional needs are being met, you may be discharged from the Family Support Team’s active caseload. If you find you need more support after being discharged, please do get in touch.
• In-Patient Unit - If your symptoms become more settled after a stay in the IPU, you may wish to go home (if it is safe for you to do so). Your Hospice
Community Nurse Specialist will still be able to offer you support.
My family and friends need support. Can you help them, too?
We have a variety of professionals who can provide emotional support and signpost to financial and practical support to help during this difficult time.
We also have a small counselling room that’s been specially designed for children. If you find your family members or loved ones are in need of this type of support, please contact our Family Support Team or discuss this with your Hospice Community Nurse Specialist or IPU nurse.
We understand that grief doesn’t have a time limit, so we aim to offer ongoing support for as long as you or your loved ones feel it is necessary. As with most things in life, your friends and family members will likely experience ups and downs in bereavement, and we will continue to offer input and assistance wherever possible.
What if I still have questions?
This booklet has been put together to provide you and your family with an overview of the services we provide at Weston Hospicecare. Although we have tried to provide a good level of detail, we understand that you will likely have additional questions. If that is the case, please do speak with a member of our team, who can help by providing you with additional details and discussing your particular needs.
How can I share my story and feedback with you?
We welcome any compliments, complaints or suggestions you have, and you are encouraged to share them with us or online through iWantGreatCare.
It is always helpful to let the community know about our work, and we are grateful to those who feel willing and able to share their stories with us. If this is something you would be willing to do, please talk with a member of our team or contact our Communications team on marketing@westonhospicecare.org.uk.
The Hospice would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from local services o ering their help at this time.
Whilst the Hospice is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.
360. . Care
At Weston Hospicecare, we provide physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual support for as long as we’re needed. We care for you and your loved ones, maximising your quality of life and assisting with your symptoms to make your moments together as special as they can be.
