Care at Hospice

A short admission to the In Patient Unit may be requested by your GP, Community Nurse Specialist, Day Hospice staff or hospital medical colleagues.

You may require admission to Hospice at any stage of your illness. There are various reasons for patients being admitted to the In Patient Unit. These include:

• assessment of your needs allowing staff to listen to your concerns about your illness and plan care that suits the goals you want to achieve
• managing symptoms that are particularly complex and have been difficult to control at home
• rehabilitation to help you adapt to changes and remain as independent as possible
• planned respite to provide a break for you and your carer so you can return home and continue to live life as fully as possible
• care as your illness progresses towards the end of your life. Over a third of patients admitted to the In Patient Unit go home after a stay. Some people may chose to spend their final days in Hospice and in this instance our aim is to enable our patients to enjoy the highest quality of life possible for whatever time remains.

Care is delivered by experienced, specialist Registered Nurses and Health Care Assistants, working with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, to ensure a holistic approach to the care of patients and their families. The multi-disciplinary team comprises a consultant and associate doctors, working in partnership with your own GP, physiotherapists, a complementary therapist, chaplains, emotional support and bereavement counsellors, as well as dedicated volunteers. We recognise the impact illness has on you and your family and aim to provide care that supports you, as well as your family and friends. We will care for you and your family as individuals and the professional team will consult you, and, with your permission, those close to you about your care.

The In Patient Unit has 12 single rooms all with their own bathroom facilities with specialist equipment. Each room has access to our garden for patients to enjoy the tranquillity and fabulous views of St Aubin’s Bay. All the rooms benefit from individualised air conditioning and heating, Wi-Fi, Digital TV, Netflix and a fridge. We take great care in the preparation of meals at Jersey Hospice Care. Our chef and his team offer a full and varied menu for you to choose from during your stay. We are happy to accommodate any particular dietary requirements or preferences.

We take pride in ensuring that the In Patient Unit adheres to strict regulations of cleanliness. Our dedicated Housekeeping staff and Facilities team maintain extremely high standards in this clinical area.

No, Jersey Hospice Care provides its services free of charge. However, your care during your stay may continue to be supported by your GP and therefore the cost of GP visits to you on the In Patient Unit will remain your responsibility in the same way it would if you were in your own home.

This will depend on your needs. Generally, people are admitted to the In-Patient Unit for short periods of time; an average length of stay is ten days. As such, we may start talking to you quite early in your stay about future plans and returning home. Jersey Hospice Care does not provide long term care on our In Patient Unit. If it would be difficult for you to go back to your own home, then we will help you and your family to look at and find other places where your care can be continued, for example a nursing or residential home.

Visitors are welcome at any time. We ask you and your visitors to respect the privacy of other patients. There are some communal areas available for visits with family and friends and a sanctuary for quiet reflection.

If you wish to restrict the times of your visitors, to allow you some quiet time, please speak to one of our nursing staff who will be happy to arrange this.

Children are welcome to visit, but we ask that they are supervised by an adult at all times.

In most cases your pets are welcome to visit too. Please speak to your nursing or care staff to make arrangements for this.

As we continue to adhere to Government guidelines for care settings due to COVID-19, please check with a member of our team for the current measures in place for visitors.

Jersey Hospice Care has a designated smoking area which is for the exclusive use of patients only.

We are committed to providing a healthy environment. As such, Jersey Hospice Care is a non-smoking site, inclusive of the gardens and car park, and in accordance with Jersey Law. This applies to all families, carers, visitors, staff and volunteers. We thank you for your cooperation.