GALWAY HOSPICE newsletterSEPTEMBER 2019 ‘HOSPICE WAS HOME FROM HOME’ The Gannon Family share their story HOSPICE HEADS TO HOLLYWOOD Volunteers and supporters swap their day jobs for the red carpet COFFEE MORNING RECIPE Brian’s Tea Brack WHEELS IN MOTION Pat O’Connell hits the road for Project Minibus IMPACT STATEMENT LAUNCH TD Seán Kyne launches Galway Hospice Impact Statement 2018 Galway Hospice Dublin Road Renmore 091 770868 Galway [email protected] H91 R2T0 www.galwayhospice.ie We continue to seek to share our knowledge and expertise with other healthcare professionals and our community team JOIN THE WEEKLY DRAW WELCOME facilitated an education session for senior nurses working in Support the work of Galway Hospice by joining our the community and nursing homes in March. Our Art Therapist Weekly Draw. The Draw costs €1.27 per week and and Occupational Therapist had an article, Finding Common members are in with the chance of winning one of the MESSAGE Ground: Art Therapy and Occupational Therapy in a Palliative two weekly prizes of €1,000 and €100. Care Setting, published in May’s edition of the Irish Journal Welcome to the September 2019 Edition of our of Art Therapy. The International Handbook of Art Therapy in HOW TO JOIN Newsletter, which is packed full of stories about Palliative and Bereavement now includes a chapter written by how you supported us over the past six months our Art Therapist titled, “Blurry Vision: Introducing Art Therapy You can join the Draw by setting up a Standing and how you are helping us to support the to Palliative Care Patients”. Order or pay by cash, cheque or card directly to patients and families who need our services. the Hospice. For more information on joining the Palliative Care Week takes place each September and this year It has been a challenging year for the team at Weekly Draw and to get a sign up form, contact features two Galway Hospice patients, Kate Cameron and Colette [email protected] or call 091-770868. the hospice, we were devastated in February Grealish Keane, who appear in a video project used nationally to when An Bord Pleanála overturned Galway City promote awareness of palliative care. The videos can be viewed Council’s decision to grant planning permission at www.palliativehub.com PAYROLL DEDUCTION SCHEME for a new hospice at Merlin Park. The Hospice We have also supported our colleagues in Mayo with design and fit Companies and employees can join the Weekly Board reluctantly decided not to seek leave for Draw through a Payroll Deduction Scheme. This a judicial review, as there were significant risks out of the new 14 bed Inpatient Unit that will open there later this year. We have been asked by the HSE to take on full clinical and involves employees authorising their employers to and costs associated with a judicial review with deduct €1.27 per week or €5.51 per month from no guarantee of success. operational governance for the new facility and we are currently in negotiations with the HSE to secure funding to open the new unit. their wages, which goes to Galway Hospice. Our design team with the assistance of the We hope to begin recruitment for the new unit in due course. Payroll Deduction Schemes are subject to agreement with HSE had made significant compromises on the Despite the demand for our services almost doubling in recent employers. Some of the organisations that currently support design of the proposed new hospice to address years we have not received any additional funding from the HSE the Galway Hospice in this way include Medtronic and Boston the concerns raised by objectors both before since 2015. This means that the amount we need to fundraise has Scientific. and during the planning process; unfortunately, continued to increase and in 2019 we need to raise €2.3 million An Bord Pleanála and the objectors to the new to cover the deficit between what we receive from the HSE and ‘They say ‘charity begins at home’. The team hospice did not accept the compromises made what it costs to run the service. That’s €4 for every single minute at Galway Hospice are visiting homes every by the Hospice. of the day. So it is not an understatement to say we just couldn’t day, throughout Galway city and county. The support the people of Galway who need our services without Weekly Draw is a major source of income for We regularly have a waiting list for our services you. However, you are supporting us; the money you raise really the Hospice and we are delighted to support it’ and demand as you can see below continues to makes a difference to those who need our services. THANK YOU. - Boston Scientific increase so we urgently need a new hospice. I want to assure you, our supporters, that we are ‘The Hospice has touched so many lives in our committed to building a new state-of-the-art community. The Payroll Deduction Scheme is facility in Galway City that will meet both current one small way to make a critical difference for and future demands for our services. We are this vital charity’ – Medtronic working with the HSE and other state bodies to Here is how your donations help: identify a new site for the hospice and will not give up until a suitable site is found. €2- Could €36- Could pay for a pay for The need for the new hospice is more than Bereavement Counselling Smiles 4 Shauna brings evident from the increasing number of patients someone to Session with one of our and families being referred to the service. Our enjoy a cup cheer to Galway Hospice Community Palliative Care Team cared for 561 Medical Social Workers of tea and a patients and families in the six months to the to support family, friends Dining Room end of June, which is an increase of 13% on last scone in Day and carers after the year. We are limited in the number of patients Care that we can care for in our Inpatient Unit due death of a loved one to the deficit in the number of inpatient beds in place for Galway, however we seek to maximise Before our bed capacity and occupancy in our Inpatient Unit over the first six months of this year was up €180- Could pay €1800- Could 4% on last year. for fuel cost for purchase an air It has not been all bad news in 2019, we one month for mattress and pump refurbished our dining room earlier this year, which has resulted in the creation of a much the minibus that to provide comfort more welcoming and relaxing environment for collects patients and support to our staff, patients and families. We are extremely in their own home most vulnerable grateful for the support we received from ‘Smiles 4 Shauna’ from Inis Mór who donated the funds and brings them to patients required for the dining room refurbishment. the hospice for Day They also very generously donated their time to Care each week help keep costs for the project to a minimum. After We also underwent a very successful three- day accreditation audit in May of this year. The teenage area of the Dining Room has given We had four auditors from our independent teenage patients and visitors a space to be them- accreditation body CHKS on site for three days selves and to relax. in May and they reviewed all aspects of the In March 2019, Smiles 4 Shauna completed their first project by service and I am pleased to tell you that we renovating the dining room in Galway Hospice, which was launched Until Smiles 4 Shauna approached the Hospice achieved over 99% compliance on the audit. by Maura Derrane and Shauna’s parents, Ann and Pat Fitzpatrick. and renovated the Dining Room, the space was The auditors commented, “The survey team uninviting to Galway Hospice’s younger patients found that treatment and care is provided Smiles 4 Shauna is a charitable organisation set up in memory and visitors. by truly genuine and considerate individuals; of teenager, Shauna Fitzpatrick, who tragically lost her battle each trained, experienced and qualified staff to cancer in 2011 at the tender age of 16. Her parents and Thanks to Smiles 4 Shauna the patients, staff, as well as the volunteers who are each trained friends, from Inis Mór, set up the charitable organisation to volunteers and general public now have a for their specific roles. Patients are treated support teenagers with cancer. brand-new refurbished dining room where they with dignity and respect in an environment can relax on a daily basis. which is safe and secure for both patients, Just over two years ago, Ann approached the Galway Hospice with staff and volunteers with risks both clinical an idea that Smiles 4 Shauna would like to support their work and The refurbishment of the Galway Hospice and non-clinical monitored and managed with that, the idea to renovate the current Dining Room to include a Dining Room will be a lasting memory of effectively to ensure minimal levels of risk.” teenage corner was formed. Shauna for many years. A copy of the final report from the auditors is 2 available on our website. 3 Cover Photo: Kevin Byrne Photography We continue to seek to share our knowledge and expertise with other healthcare professionals and our community team JOIN THE WEEKLY DRAW WELCOME facilitated an education session for senior nurses working in Support the work of Galway Hospice by joining our the community and nursing homes in March.