The ‘Rest Assured’ Home Service, a partnership between Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and Marie Curie Cancer Care, offers young adults with terminal illnesses the choice to receive care at home at the end of their life. It is the first time that such a service has been offered in Scotland.
Many seriously ill people in Scotland, including young adults, wish to remain at home for as long as possible in comfortable and familiar surroundings. This service will help make that possible and provide free necessary care, day and night, for patients and their families, alleviating stress and pressure at a time which is precious for all.
Once a young adult identifies a preference to be cared for in their own home, CHAS will contact Marie Curie, the district nurse and the team will arrange an introductory meeting with the young adult and their family.
The team will work with patients and their families to discuss how their needs can be met within their own home, reducing the requirement for hospital or hospice admissions.
Harry Bunch, Project Manager at Marie Curie Cancer Care, said: “Both CHAS and Marie Curie share a commitment to provide the best quality care and support for patients and their families through our hospices and our staff, at a time when it is needed most.
“This new initiative will help many young people at a very difficult time in their life. By working together we can provide care packages, tailored to the individual needs of young adults, delivered within the comfort of their own home where they would most like to be.”
Babs Henderson, Director of Care, CHAS at Home, added: “Every young adult is different with unique needs and it is really important for us to provide a service that respects their wishes and expectations for the end of their life. By working together with Marie Curie we’re able to offer these young people greater choices and the best possible care.”
Katrina McNamara, Director of Practice and Service Development at Together for Short Lives, commented: “The Rest Assured Home Service is an excellent example of innovation in practice led by two expert organisations coming together to deliver real choice in care for young people with palliative care needs. We hope that this creative project and the partnership approach will serve as a ‘template’ good practice example for other services working across children’s and young people’s palliative care.”
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