End-of-life care

End-of-life care at home in Bucks and Herts

Our end-of-life care gives patients in Bucks and Herts the choice to spend their final days at home.  As well as specialist nursing care, we can assist with personal care and provide emotional and practical support for the whole family. Our purpose is to be there for local families facing life-limiting and terminal illness, supporting them when every moment matters.

Specialist nursing care at home

Rennie Grove registered nurses provide specialist care at scheduled and emergency visits to patients’ homes in Bucks and Herts. Our Hospice at Home care is unique in the local area. Any time of the day or night – every day of the year – our patients can call on the Rennie Grove registered nurses. Patients and their families know we’re here, 24/7, at the end of a phone and able to visit immediately. Importantly, this can often prevent hospital admissions and make sure patients are as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

Personal care at home

Our Rapid Personalised Care Service makes sure patients can get home from hospital, with minimal delay, when every moment matters. The team are also able to act swiftly when a patient already under our care begins to need support with things like washing, dressing or food preparation. Our standard is to have a home care package in place within 48 hours of referral. Commissioned by the NHS, this service underpins our end-of-life nursing care at home for patients in Bucks and Herts.

Practical help and companionship at home

Our volunteer-led Supporting Hands service offers companionship and practical support to ease isolation and keep domestic life intact. For example, they might pop in for a chat or a game of chess, can sit with a patient to give carers a bit of respite, or help with gardening, dog walking or household chores.

Emotional and psychological support

Life-limiting illness can trigger so many emotions, especially towards the end of life. We can offer patients and their families the valuable chance to talk with trained listeners and counsellors. In addition, this service extends into bereavement support. It gives family members the emotional and psychological support they might need at any point following the death of a loved one.

Boosting wellbeing

Complementary therapy, such as massage or reiki, can improve patients’ and family members’ sense of wellbeing. This can be especially valuable when you’re coping with terminal illness.

Helping children cope with illness and bereavement

We also offer specialist support for the children of our adult patients. For example, our children’s support group provides friendship and play sessions for children and siblings of current and former Rennie Grove patients. You can learn more about our Children and Young People’s Support here.

With you all the way

Our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do.  Our nurses do everything in their power to ensure the wishes of their patients are respected, visiting day and night as needed, right to the end, to help families make every moment together matter.