My God, I've just found out the cost of dh's Hospice care!

[Blandmum]

I picked up a leaflet on a family fun cycle to raise money for the hospice and they gave a break down of the costs.

On average the in patient care costs £812 a day.

and he will have been in for 5 days!

Thankfully we don't have to pay, but if any of you have money that you want to use for a charitable donation, please think about giving some of it to your local hospice. they do such amazing things.

But what a cost!

I guess if I thought about it I would have come up with a similar figure, but still when you see it written down! You are right MB, we all need to support our local hospices (Highland Hospice get all my charity donations where I am!)

Ironically we support a hospice in scotland, because they looked after dh's uncle before he died.

Does that mean he's come out? Very glad to hear it!

Hospices are incredible places - shocking that they have to rely on charitable donations.

Out today.

He doesn't have an intestinal blockage, which they were worried about.

He gets some time at home, with regular visits from the Mac nurse (2x a week IIRC). If needed he may go back into the hospice to get his pain meds switched to methadone, which is less constipating, but that will take a week as they need to monitor him constantly.

they are going to increase the minitiring, as his symptoms are deteriorating faster now and they want to try to stay on top of things.

Yesterday we had a 30 minute chat with his consultant.

Each day they have been giving him an hour long review.

On a busy hospital ward that just isn't possible, not because the staff are unwilling (all NHS people we have seen over the last year and a half have been amazing), but because of the different pressures that they are under.

How are you doing MB?

OK, I really should go and finish marking the last 6 A level course work scripts, but for some reason I'd rather be here!

my grans brother and neice received care at st giles hospice in tamworth. It is a wonderful place, albeit a sad one too. We always try to give to them though

i hope you dh had a restful time mb ( and you too) xx

So glad about the blockage, that is good news. Now, be off with you and deal with those scripts!

Yes miss!

So sad that hospices have to rely on charitable donations and that the level of care they give can't be given to everybody within the NHS, but when it is all broken down it is easy to see why it is so expensive. But worth every single penny if it eases a families burden during hard times.
Hospices are fantastic plases and yes - we should be aware of and support whichever is local to us (or means something).
Good to hear Mr MB is on his way home so get on with your marking young lady and then it will be done by the time he's back.

unfortunely Hospices have to rely on charitable donations because the gov have change the funding rules.

I support my 2 local hopices Keech cottage (childrens) and Pasque (adult). Both cost £1000 per day.

Their NHS investment was £751,000 but running cost where over £4million for the year.

I'm glad your dh is now back home.

Message withdrawn

4 days at £821!

he is home now and resting.
I'm not sure where our nearest childrens' hospice is. Dd was asking me about it when we visited yesterday....

so - is the hospice a charity ? If so - why isn't is funded as part of the NHS ? Surely is it a integral part of "care from birth the grave" or whatever the NHS stands for ?

I always assumed hospices were part of the NHS, until my Mum went into one. I was so that they rely on charitable donations. They are the most amazing, caring, important places.

I now support her hospice with a direct debit each month and I always take our bric-a-brac and old clothes to the hospice shops.

My Mum was in St Helena Hospice for over 2 months. They were truely brilliant. They offered me counciling for which they would send a driver to my school and get me as my Dad was working. My Mum also went every week for around a year just for a day out.

For my Mums funeral we asked that there was no flowers but donations for the hospice. We raised over £3000 for them this way. We also gave them all Mums old clothes for their shop.

8 years later we are still incredably grateful for what the hospice did for our whole family but none of us can go there again as it is far too painful.

Why does it cost so much? I know the staff do a fantastic job and are really dedicated but I can't understand how it can be £1000 per adult per day..

We are actively fundraising for Kent children's hospice Demelza House to build a new facility locally. There is currently no children's hospice serving the whole of inner and outer SE London
The dc's school is fundraising too and so are lots of community groups in the area.
Demelza, Helen House, St Christopher's - the whole Hospice Movement and Dame Cicely Saunders - something to make you feel proud to be British, tbh. Saunders was an inspiring woman.

Pablop, staff ratios, specialist therapists, lots of other visiting professionals...the hospices provide a holistic service for the whole family and space to do it.
Every penny well spent IME. I think it's quite easy to rack up a similar daily tariff making good use of room service while in for cosmetic surgery at the Portland.

Thanks Marina, I really didn't know that.

What they aim to do is stint on nothing at a time when the family need it most.
I guess the fact they work outside the NHS is a big advantage in this respect, or they would no doubt face constant cuts/clawbacks

It makes sense though - I wouldn't be surprised if the daily costs of being on and NHS ward are not close to that.

I know the private maternity ward at King's cost £750 a day just to be in - no delivery costs etc. (I wasn't in it - I made DP enquire when i realised I had to stay in for 6 days).

that hospices are charitably rather than state funded, though.

Anyway, I am pleased that you have the support of yours when it is needed, MB.
(Blu)