Blog post: As a nation we are on hold – but end of life care must go on – we must continue to enable it
Entering our third lockdown in less than 12 months should mean we’re all very used to staying at home, and minimising all non-essential interactions. But this time it feels so much harder. Whether it’s the shorter, colder days, or simply the pure exhaustion of maintaining this pace of life, where many of us are operating in isolation, cut off from friends and family – this really does feel different.
And in some respects in Somerset it is different. The spectre of Covid has become a real threat to our community this time round. I don’t think there is a single one of us who now doesn’t feel the pain of loss linked to this pandemic. Loved ones, friends, colleagues and neighbours – all of us are affected.
At St Margaret’s the clinical team has been on duty now since March 2020 – it’s like a ten month shift that never seems to stop. The doctors, nurses and clinical staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that our care for those dying in our community continues, regardless of what barriers are put in front of us.
And at the start of the pandemic anxiety manifested itself in action – we mobilised our teams through the power of technology so that they could provide care remotely, and we have, ever since those first days of confusion, tried our very best to be there for everyone who needs our support.
But it’s been relentless. The teams have not stopped. Even over Christmas and New Year our staff volunteered in their own time to deliver care packages to patients and families recently bereaved, who we knew would be all on their own. And it’s these small gestures of kindness that often have the biggest impact and mean the most to people.
"The prospect of Christmas on my own was something that I was not looking forward to. Your bag however brought some sunshine into my day. A very big thank you. I am not certain you can know how much it meant to me, but believe it meant a lot."
At the same time our specially trained staff have been at the forefront of providing guidance and coordinating end-of-life care across Somerset and beyond. This has included working with the wider healthcare sector and our colleagues in the NHS – and the support required by them is not getting any less. In fact it’s on the increase as our whole community faces the new pressures being placed on our hospitals, care homes, schools and workplaces. And this is reflected in the stream of calls we are receiving to our 24/7 adviceline.
The first weekend in January saw our highest number of calls in ten years. Many of those callers were ambulance staff, district nurses and GPs, who all needed our expertise and help – as well as the countless calls from patients, families and carers who are exhausted and now struggling to cope during this third phase of lockdown.
I know from my clinical colleagues that this week the number of calls has dropped slightly but the calls have increased in intensity and complexity reflecting the fear and anxiety out there. People are struggling with sleep deprivation, loneliness, mental health problems and their ability to cope with looking after loved ones who are sadly dying. The calls have been harrowing because dealing with end of life is tough enough – doing it in a lockdown is so much harder – but our nurses and doctors, counsellors and therapists are there 24/7 to help guide and reassure.
But this takes its toll on our staff too, many of whom have their own personal losses to deal with, and families who are isolating or juggling home-schooling. Remembering to be kind to ourselves is also now part of the daily challenge of this pandemic.
Everybody working as one team to keep things going day and night.
And behind these incredible frontline staff are the countless people who have been helping to keep the hospice functioning and safe – the housekeeping team who ensure every inch of the hospice is clean and sanitised; the kitchen staff who keep the patients, carers and staff nutritionally fed; the estates team who have continued to service and protect our sites to keep us functioning and secure; and there are those who have continued to seek ways to generate income to help pay for all of this activity. Everybody working as one team to keep things going day and night.
Fundraising has been anything but conventional this year. Much has been said about how income has dropped off a cliff because we have not been able to put on events, or come together as a community as we would normally do to raise funds. Coupled with the closure of our network of 33 shops for the best part of a year, we are sadly still likely to see a £2M hole in our finances – and this is after the financial support we have received as part of the Government’s emergency relief funding for Hospices and the generosity of shop landlords.
But this has not stopped us reaching out in alternative ways, and you – our community – have responded so generously. Because of your support last year, we were able to act quickly and make changes so that we could keep caring for you and your loved ones. Your donations, gifts of equipment and PPE, and messages of support have quite simply kept us going. And I mean that both in terms of maintaining the core work of the hospice, but also in terms of giving us the motivation and strength to carry on. Each time we receive a donation, it lifts our spirits and reminds us all of how proud we are to represent St Margaret’s and to serve this community.
So, yes as a nation we are on hold – but here at St Margaret’s we will never stand still. We are on constant standby, ready to help and ready to care. And as we enter probably the toughest few weeks of this pandemic yet, we will reflect on everything that we have achieved as a community and know that we will get through this next challenge together.
Joanna Hall - Director of Fundraising
January 2021