St Helena Hospice’s chief executive has issued a promise to the local community of Tendring to reassure residents that its services will continue to run in their area.

The hospice has been helping the local people of Clacton and Tendring to face incurable illness and bereavement, supporting them, their families and their carers for many years, and has no intention of cutting these services now or in the future.

Mark Jarman-Howe, chief executive of St Helena Hospice, said: “There has been a lot of unease and confusion in Tendring since we proposed to close our Tendring Centre and I would like to make a promise to you all.

“Firstly, under no circumstances will our hospice services in Clacton and Tendring close. We will continue to provide our day therapies, clinics and bereavement support to the local community for as long as it is needed.

“Secondly, if we sell the Tendring Centre, all the proceeds will be used to ensure we can continue to provide hospice care in North Essex for the long term.

“And finally, any savings we make in running costs from the building will be reinvested into the Clacton and Tendring area to help more people like Denise, who attended Day Therapies to help manage the symptoms of his/her life-limiting illness.”

Denise Wretham from Clacton has attended several Day Therapies groups to help manage her COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and finds the support has given her confidence:

“If I’ve had a bad week I think to myself, if I can just get to my group it’ll give me a boost. I meet new people there with problems too, new people who I don’t have to be frightened of if I look a bit different. The staff are gorgeous. They always make you feel so welcome and make everyone there so relaxed.

“I set myself a goal to do more chair exercises and the mindful movement techniques I was shown at the group. I have been learning how to cope with worsening symptoms, like when I really can’t breathe I used to panic, but the breathing groups have taught me coping mechanisms.

“The more encouragement I can get the better, and St Helena is doing that. They are my inspiration, the lovely people there who accept me for who I am.”

St Helena Hospice supported 1,832 people in the Tendring area last year, which is 200 more than they supported two years prior.

Alongside its day therapies, clinics and bereavement support, St Helena Hospice delivers most of its care in the community through their Hospice in the Home and SinglePoint services and their award winning Safe Harbour project which promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in hospice care.

Safe Harbour is run in collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support and reaches out to people who have had difficulty accessing hospice services, such as those who are homeless, suffer from drug or alcohol addiction, are from ethnic minorities, have mental illness or who live in areas of deprivation.

Debbie Pigeon, Macmillan outreach clinical nurse specialist, based at St Helena, works very closely with people and organisations in the Tendring area.

She said: “Traditionally, people from underserved groups have an opinion that ‘hospice’ means end of life. So when you mention the word, they think they’re going to die straight away. I introduce the idea of hospice to them early on and support them with symptom management, along with emotional, psychological, social and financial issues, so when they do deteriorate, they feel part of St Helena and feel safe that we’re going to support them.

“I love working in the community. I love making a difference for people. The most rewarding thing is building up trusting relationships because many of these people have traditionally been let down and lack trust in statutory services. My aim is to be alongside them throughout their illness so they can be supported with dignity until the end of their life.”

Steve, one of Debbie’s patients commented:

“I call her visits my ‘make me happy days’ because a lot of people I deal with say they are going to do something, but somebody puts the brakes on and it never happens. Debbie gets straight on it, boom boom boom. I trust her completely.

“I knew nothing at all about hospices before Debbie came. It did scare me. The best thing I can say about St Helena Hospice was it gave me the will to live. It did. No ifs and buts about it.”

In the last year, St Helena’s community nurses have supported 666 patients and made 2,652 visits in the Tendring area.

Belinda Jackson from St Osyth praises the support her mum, Barbara Deane, received from St Helena at home as her heart failure progressed. One of St Helena’s community clinical nurse specialists (CNS), Ross Chirgwin, became a firm favourite visitor:

“She had such a soft spot for him. He was fantastic with her because he answered the questions people are probably too frightened to ask. She’d already planned her funeral ages ago, what she’d like, what she wanted. We even picked her outfit.”

The family was open with their discussions and Barbara’s choices for her care were recorded on the My Care Choices Register. They asked Ross about the dying process, who explained sensitively and honestly. Belinda recalls:

“After it was explained, it was like mum had accepted that. I don’t think she gave up the fight but I think she was more at peace with it. I think it made her feel a bit more at ease.

“I didn’t know what to expect and what was important. I felt like there was this trust.”

Having support from St Helena at home helped the family to create extra special memories together last Christmas.

“We knew it was very likely to be mum’s last Christmas. In the morning we all went into mum’s room and undid the presents and sat with her. She couldn’t get out of bed for long without oxygen but she did come in for dinner. She managed about 20 minutes. We all dressed up and mum was Mary. She desperately wanted to join in with the fun and I think Christmas kept her going.”

Barbara died peacefully in February 2019 at home with her loved ones where she wanted to be. Belinda said:

“If it hadn’t been for St Helena Hospice and all the services it provides, we as a family wouldn’t have been able to make that happen.”

Mr Jarman-Howe added: “The demand for our care and support is growing. The population is expanding and people are living longer, meaning the number of people in need of our hospice services is going to continue to increase.

“Our aim is to reach more people in the local community who need our expert care and we are determined to make sure that we are utilising our resources in the most efficient and cost effective way possible, for the benefit of the people we care for.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who supports St Helena, whether through fundraising, donating, visiting our shops, or volunteering, without you we wouldn’t be able to improve the quality of life or provide dignity and comfort at the end of life for so many individuals and families.

“Regardless of what happens with the Tendring Centre, our services will continue to run and our staff and volunteers will continue to support local people through dying, death and bereavement.”

If you think you or a loved one can benefit from the help and support of St Helena Hospice, speak to your healthcare professional or refer yourself online at sthelena.org.uk

Posted: 29th November 2019