Strathcarron Hospice employs 17 Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) who can visit you at home and help you and your family work through any issues that are important to you. 

Our CNS teams can give you information about your illness and treatment as well as advice on how to get the most relief from any symptoms that you are experiencing. 

They are also very experienced in:-

• listening to how you feel,
• help to manage pain and complex symptoms and
• identifying what your wishes are about your future care.

They work closely with your GP and Community Nurses to make sure your care is as seamless as possible. They also work closely with the medical staff and other services based at Strathcarron Hospice and they can refer you to any of these where this is required.

In many cases the main difficulties can be eased significantly as a result of the CNS’s support.  The CNS may then reduce the number of visits or stop visiting until you require this type of support in the future.

The CNS team are often confused with Macmillan nurses, which is incorrect – all your community specialist palliative care nursing comes direct from Strathcarron Hospice, and are funded by Strathcarron Hospice.

Who is this service for?

Anyone living at home with a life limiting illness, where symptoms are causing distress despite all first line interventions and where the impact of illness is depleting the ability to live well.

What do they do / what difference do they make?

The Community Teams provide essential services which include:

• Assessment and advice on the management of your symptoms
• Emotional support in dealing with anxieties and fears related to illness and treatment (Patient and families)
• Assessment for access to support from other Strathcarron Hospice services, including Day Care; In-patient care; Complementary Therapy; Hospice@Home and Bereavement Services
• Provide telephone advice for patients and families
• Work closely with your existing healthcare team

Meet Debbie, a Strathcarron CNS.

She’s been in this role for over 3 years, having worked previously in the Hospice In Patient Unit. We asked Debbie a couple of questions:

1. What does your typical day as a Strathcarron Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in the Community look like?

“Well, firstly there is no typical day. But, usually It'll start with getting into my car to visit patients in their homes. I also communicate, either in person or over the phone with family members, health care professionals and allied healthcare workers.

I also work closely with the primary healthcare team; GP's and Community Nursing teams to support people at home, so I'm liaising with them daily.

2. What is the best part of your job?

I really love visiting someone for the first time. Just seeing how much you make a difference to that person and their family; whether it be making sense of what is happening to them and why, helping to manage their symptoms, arranging carer support, or referring to another service (including Strathcarron Hospice services) which they would benefit from.

There’s of course challenges to navigate. You are a guest in their home when they’re at their most vulnerable, so of course it can bring with it many emotions, which is understandable. It’s a highly emotional time for the person and their loved ones.

Seeing the relief on their faces, knowing that someone is helping them to oversee their care and be there for them, when they need it the most; this is a privilege for me”.

More Information

Home Care Information Leaflet

How to refer

Advice on how to refer to all our services