Pioneering aspects of Butterfly House’s model are:
- Hospice is non-bedded allowing more patients to be cared for on a daily and weekly basis. Research shows that 70 per cent of people would prefer to die at home (BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care 2016).
- Hospice prioritises the mental health of its patients and their families offering unlimited psychotherapeutic care.
- An area has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of young people, an often-neglected group in hospice care.
- Treatment is completely patient-centric – a variety of therapies focussing on the mental and spiritual wellbeing are available.
The hospice’s Chief Executive Jo Woolf said:
“With an ageing population and stretched care resources we wanted to create a facility that meets future needs. We also wanted to develop holistic care that puts people first. We consider our patients’ mental health to be of utmost importance, this is why we offer unlimited psychotherapeutic care.”
“We know that treatment and therapies are vastly more effective on patients who have psychological support than on those who are wracked with anxiety, or other forms of emotional and mental distress.”
“We are interested in new ways of working with patients with life-threatening illness. Doug the Pug is a regular visitor at our hospice and we look forward to introducing other innovative therapies.”
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Professor of Palliative Medicine, Independent Crossbench member of the House of Lords and a Vice President of Hospice UK, unveiled a plaque to commemorate the opening of the new day hospice this week.
The Baroness praised the charity’s fantastic vision and reminded the guests that the way people die lives on in the memory of those left behind.
For more information visit South Bucks Community Hospice
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