Debbie de Boltz: Farleigh Hospice

This week Debbie de Boltz came to give us an update on Farleigh Hospice. Our members include at least two former trustees.

Farleigh has now reached its 40th anniversary. It aims to provide for anyone affected by a life-limiting illness or bereavement, helping people to live as actively as possible from the point of diagnosis to the end of life.

It has a Specialist Inpatient Unit, based in Chelmsford and providing short-term care for patients needing symptom control, respite, rehabilitation of end of life care. It is also split into three geographical areas providing community care throughout Essex.

Other services include:

• a Clinical Advice Line, giving access to a member of the hospice team for advice on symptoms, nursing care and other needs relating to life-limiting illness;
• Bereavement Support, with services for adults and for children from four upwards;
• an Education Programme, giving organisations such as nursing homes the benefit of Farleigh’s expertise; and
• Wellbeing Services and Spiritual Care, including aromatherapy and Reiki.

Debbie mentioned the importance of providing bereavement care for children before the death if possible, to help them cope when it occurred.

Volunteers are involved in a number of endeavours, including as members of the Farliegh Community Care, helping in the shops and providing one-to-one telephone advice. The volunteers working on the advice line are mainly people who have experience of loved one with a life-limiting condition.

The hospice helps everyone who approaches it. This costs over £21,000 per day. The budget for the current accounting year projects a deficit of some £1,000,000, which is obviously not sustainable. Part of the money is provided by the NHS but the rest has to come through fund-raising. The latest initiative is a house-clearance service.