It can be difficult to talk about illness and the strong emotions that accompany it. The family support team provide a listening ear to patients, their families and carers. They can help you to explore the thoughts and feelings associated with illness and the changes it brings. You may want to make plans for the future. Some people find talking to someone outside the family can help. You may also want to put some of those plans down in writing. We have the skills necessary to assist you in doing this. When someone is ill, everyone in the family can be affected and it can also impact on your finances.
We can guide and advise you with practical and financial support. We can look at maximising your income, and advise you on claiming any benefit entitlements. We can also advise if any grants are available, and help guide you with housing issues and debt. Our aim is try to relieve some of the stress that financial worries may bring during a difficult time. We can also signpost you to other support services and speak on your behalf with other agencies, such as housing, employers and equipment providers, to help you meet your needs.
Planning Ahead
The Hospice of the Valleys support people to live their life to the full, whatever that means to them. Have you ever considered what would happen if you couldn’t make decisions anymore? What would be important to you?
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a voluntary, structured discussion with patients and their families or carers about their wishes and thoughts for the future. Through our experience, we have found that planning ahead, discussing, sharing and sometimes documenting those important decisions and preferences, allows your choices to be heard when you can no longer voice them.
ACP is an opportunity for people to feel empowered and that their preferences are considered and respected. With regular reviews and clear communication between everybody involved, ACP helps us to plan and provide your care in the best way we can.
Advance Care Plans may include all or any of the three below:
• An Advance Statement: a way for you to write down what matters most to you so that people know about your wishes and choices.
• An Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT): a formal way for you to write down and share any decisions you make about treatments that you do not want in the future.
• Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA): a person/people nominated by you to speak on your behalf. There are two types; ‘Health and Welfare’ (speaks for you only if you cannot speak for yourself at the time) and ‘Property and Affairs’ (speaks for you from whenever you authorise them to so do).
If you live or work in our community and would like to know more about why it is important to plan ahead please contact us to discuss how we can support you.
You can also view and download our Plan Ahead document HERE
