A host of vital new equipment has arrived at Weston Hospicecare’s inpatient unit (IPU) at Jackson-Barstow House after the charity’s successful Comfort and Care appeal in the summer of 2018.
Hospice supporters were called upon to support the appeal and responded in style by raising more than £55,000 in a matter of months to make the appeal a resounding success.
Money raised has enabled the hospice to replace a range of outdated items with modern new equipment designed to boost patient comfort.
The new purchases include easily-adjustable beds costing £2,682 each, pressure-relieving mattresses at £2,850 each and reclining chairs priced at £2,130 each.
As part of the appeal the IPU has also acquired an infusion pump, which cost £3,206 and will support nurses in delivering medication and treatment more safely and accurately.
The new equipment’s arrival represents a much-needed update, with some of the old equipment showing signs of age after being in use since the charity moved to its Uphill base in 1997.
IPU Manager Jill Nash said: “On behalf of the hospice, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported the Comfort and Care appeal.
“Our goal is to help people with life-limiting illnesses live well, with dignity and independence, for as long as they can. And for families to be able to spend quality, fulfilling time with their loved one, making the most of each day they have together.
“It’s vital that the people we care for feel safe, secure, and of course comforted at what is often an incredibly difficult time in their life.
“The success of this appeal, through your generosity, has allowed us to buy all the new equipment we desperately needed.
“The beds, mattresses and chairs will ensure our patients are comfortable to further enhance relief from symptoms and pain. The infusion pump will ensure safe and effective delivery of medication and treatments.
“Once again, a huge thank you very much for all of your support.”
A regular day hospice patient, who has recently transferred to the inpatient unit for further expert care, was one of the charity’s supporters who contributed to the appeal, and is now benefitting from the equipment as a result of the appeal’s success.
Jenny Hobbs, who is being treated for respiratory limitations, says the new purchases help to make her feel at ease.
She said: “The equipment is so good, particularly with all the adjustable buttons within easy reach. All the equipment feels light yet sturdy and really comfortable.
“The care offered here is absolutely marvellous. I know myself, having been through the day hospice and now here in the IPU. It is just amazing.
“During a recent visit from my daughter was so impressed with the room and the equipment. She said to me ‘wow what a place mum’.”
People in Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset with life-limiting illnesses have been cared for by the hospice since 1989, meaning the charity is now marking its 30th anniversary year.