You are here: Kirkwood Hospice - Caring For Patients - What We Do - 10 Common Misconceptions
Ten Common Misconceptions About Hospices1. The Hospice movement is an American idea.
The modern hospice movement began in England in 1967 when Cicely Saunders opened St. Christopher’s Hospice in London. From those small beginnings the movement has spread throughout the world.
2. Only people with cancer can go to Kirkwood Hospice.
Kirkwood Hospice provides specialist care for people with life-threatening illness, their families and carers. Many patients do, indeed, have cancer but we also care for those with diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease, chronic heart disease and other progressive, life-threatening illnesses who may benefit from the expertise of our skilled team of staff.
3. Kirkwood is a place where people go to die.
Kirkwood Hospice provides care from diagnosis onwards whenever specialist palliative care is required to address specific problems.
Some people are extremely ill when they come to the Hospice and sadly they will die here. However, approximately 40% of those admitted are able to return home again having received specialist help and support during their stay.
We are often able to organise extra help at home to enable even the very ill to return home if they so wish.
4. Hospices are depressing places.
Many visitors to Kirkwood comment upon the calm, welcoming atmosphere. Staff are professional and friendly. Patients and their relatives are able to relax and participate in many therapies and activities. Often with this relaxation comes humour and laughter, which balances the natural sadness of difficult experiences.
5. Kirkwood Hospice can only help people with physical problems.
Hospice care is holistic in nature. This means that we do not concentrate solely on physical problems such as pain. We are also able to help with emotional, social and spiritual issues of concern to the patient, their families and carers.
6. Kirkwood only provides in-patient care.
Kirkwood does provide in-patient care for up to 16 patients however this is by no means all that we offer.
Day attendance allows patients to attend the Support & Therapy Centre for one day each week or fortnight to receive specialist advice and support or to access other services such as physiotherapy, counselling, aromatherapy and creative activities.
Some patients and carers who do not wish to come for a full day may attend our Drop-In for specific appointments or to obtain information and support.
Our Palliative Care Team visits patients at home to give additional support, advise on symptom control and help plan future care.
The Family Care Team can provide emotional support and counselling before and after death. They provide a service for bereaved children called Kirkwood Koalas.
Other services include Spiritual Care, Occupational Therapy And Physiotherapy, Social Work, Complementary Therapies and Art and Creative Writing.
7. Hospices only care religious people.
Kirkwood Hospice provides care for people of any religious denomination and for those with no particular faith or beliefs.
Some people also think that to work in a hospice you have to have strong religious beliefs; again this is not the case. Our staff have the same mix of beliefs as the patients for whom they care.
8. Kirkwood Hospice is part of the NHS.
Kirkwood Hospice is an independent, voluntary organisation; a registered charity. We are not part of the NHS however we work closely with colleagues caring for patients in NHS hospitals and in the community to ensure continuity of care whenever the individual happens to require specialist hospice care and support.
As a charity our income is generated mainly by fundraising events and generous donations. We have a fundraising department on site at Kirkwood.
The local Primary Care Trusts make a contribution of approximately 19% towards our annual expenditure, the rest of the funds have to be secured from voluntary donations and gifts.
9. Hospice care is very expensive and therefore excludes those who have little money.
All services are provided free of charge irrespective of the financial circumstances of individual patients.
10. Kirkwood Hospice only cares for people who live in the Kirklees area.
Kirkwood offers care primarily to the people of Kirklees (an area of West Yorkshire which includes the towns of Batley, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth Huddersfield and Mirfield) who support us so generously with their time and money.
However each request for care is assessed individually and occasionally we will look after someone from outside Kirklees, for example if their family all live locally and would be unable to visit in another area.