Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People is marking Children’s Hospice Week (June 22-28) by highlighting how it has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The last three months has seen huge changes in the way Martin House cares for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, due to the outbreak.
Clair Holdsworth, director of clinical services at Martin House, said: “Coronavirus has forced us to adapt the way we provide care, but we remain focused on our central mission – that every child and young person has access to palliative care when and where they need it.”
Families supported by Martin House have felt the effects of lockdown more acutely than most, with social isolation taking its toll on families, who have been left exhausted after months of providing 24/7 care for their child at home.
Clair added:
Our families have been shielding throughout the lockdown and beyond to protect their children, and we know that has taken a toll. We’ve been supporting them remotely as best we can, but we know it hasn’t been the same as coming to Martin House.
Martin House has continued to offer a lifeline to families throughout the crisis, with doctors and specialist nurses providing video consultations, and its care team has kept in touch with families regularly throughout the lockdown.
While it remained open to emergency and end of life care throughout lockdown, it is now offering planned respite breaks once again, giving families a break, as well as providing more outreach care in people’s homes.
Clair said:
We’ve worked with families to make sure we can offer them the kind of care and support they need in the coming months, while putting measures in place to make sure everyone stays safe.
Martin House’s funding remains badly affected by the pandemic, with most of its fundraising events cancelled, and its fundraising income slashed as a result of the lockdown, losing an estimated £1.7 million.
Clair added:
When we launched our urgent appeal at the start of the lockdown, people were incredibly generous, and we thank them for that. But we still need your help to continue caring for children and young people in this region.
You can support Martin House by donating through its website at www.martinhouse.org.uk/urgentappeal
