Warrnambool and District Community Hospice is a not-for-profit organisation supported by our own community. Hospice in the Home is about helping people make the most of every moment as their lives draw to a close. It is about keeping people at home, if they don’t want to be, and don’t need to be, in busy hospitals.
Hospice care is the kind of care that seeks to keep people comfortable and pain free in the last stages of an illness.
Symptoms present during end of life care can often be managed at home… where most people would prefer to be.
Specially trained volunteers will assist families and friends to care for dying patients in their own homes.
Overnight, extended daytime and weekend care will be considered, depending on circumstances and resources.
Referrals will be received by the Support Coordinator, and patients will be assessed by the Hospice team. Any adult living in the Warrnambool area, in need of end of life care, who has a family carer, and whose symptoms can be managed at home, will be considered for the Hospice in the Home service. Referrals may be made by a community or family member, doctor, the community palliative care team or other health services.
Once a referral has been received by the Support Coordinator, the patient or carer will be contacted for a time to meet at their home to discuss the patient’s needs, their suitability for the Hospice service and to assess if it is a safe environment for volunteers. A roster will be put together for the times where help is required. This may be simply to sit with the patient while the carer has a break, sleep or outing or it could be for a more extended time if, for example, the carer needed to attend an appointment or function.
People who would prefer to die at home will have a better chance of doing so. Families and friends will be supported through difficult times. There will be fewer inappropriate admissions to hospitals and nursing homes.
Warrnambool & District Community Hospice acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we live, learn and play, we recognise their connection to the land and community. We respect the stories, traditions, and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We respect the Elders past, present and emerging on this land.