A visit to the hospice

While I was down in Taunton over Easter I took the opportunity to go and visit the hospice.  Thankfully, I haven't had reason to go there since the days following my Fathers death 24 years ago.

The hospice has grown its footprint considerably from what I remember.  Where the ward my Father was in used to look over a grassed area, that area has now been built on.  The new facilities (actually about 10 years old I think) include:

• a number of family rooms, to allow for patients to have several family members in simultaneously
• private rooms with bathrooms
• a large day care centre to co-ordinate and facilitate treatments for people who prefer to stay at home through their illness.

In terms of the number of patients treated, the numbers are roughly the same - a maximum of 16 in-patients at any one time.  This small number allows the staff to really focus their attention and to maintain the personal touch that allows the patients to feel wanted rather than an inconvenience.  The whole place had more of the feel of a modern hotel than a hospital and I left thinking that it would be wonderful if the whole NHS worked like this (unfortunately, to make this possible we would all have to be taxed to the point of pointlessness)!

I asked myself how I would want to be looked after if terminally ill, my answers (with dignity; as high a quality of life as was possible; in a clean environment with those whom I cherish close at hand), were fully addressed by what was available in St.Margarets.  This visit convinced me that my motivation is well placed and has made me even more determined to continue donating to the hospice after I finish my challenge.