Sharron has been a Hospice at Home Healthcare Assistant since the service started in 2014 and has worked for the Hospice for 20 years.

Sharron shares her experience of working with Hospice at Home – the first of its kind in Scotland - as we mark the 10^th anniversary of the service this week.

 

Sharron’s Story

It was such a privilege to know we were at the forefront of the Hospice at Home movement in Scotland. It started as a pilot and was nice to get the chance to prove we could make a difference to people out with the Hospice itself as well.

Knowing that the organisation believes in you that you were given the backing to go out and take the lead on doing that felt great – we felt really proud to be out there representing Strathcarron. There was nothing like Hospice at Home out there when we started and knowing that we made such a difference was brilliant.

We are a lot busier now than we were in the first few years as more people now want to die at home.

There have been a lot of changes over the years and we cover a large area but we have more staff now to facilitate the larger case load. Getting out there to the people that need us at the worst time of their life is really important, giving them the chance to die at home if that is their wish.

Our role can involve popping in and helping give emotional support to the family, getting the person comfortable in bed, liaising with the district nurses, assessing pain management, speaking to the doctors on the ward and CNS team if required and our allied health team – everyone works really closely together so we give the best experience possible for the person and their family. 

Emotionally it can be a rollercoaster and every day can be different.

The emotions in a house can be very different from one day to the next, nothing is ever static with us and the team has to move quickly with those changes – especially as someone can deteriorate rapidly.

 

Two Sides of the Coin

I was on the other side of the care last year with my dad when he died.  I saw how it was to have the support and the structure. My family know what I do, but until our Hospice at Home team came in to provide support they realised the work that goes on and there is lots more to it than they realised. It really was experiencing the flip side of the coin for me.

We know what we do makes a big difference to families - you can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices. Being on the other side of it I experienced that difference – knowing the service is there for them is a life line.

I give 110 % to this service - it is my life and a vocation not just a job. I have been at the Hospice for 20 years – 10 of those with Hospice at Home. It really is a special place to work and an honour and a privilege to be part of such a great team. We all support each other and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else – I am in with the bricks!

"People see the work that is done and know what a difference Strathcarron makes."

Making a Difference 

There is a lot of mental pressure in the job and we have to have some really difficult conversations with families but that’s what makes our role unique – we can offer care, empathy and support and signpost to other areas of branches of support in the Hospice. If we don’t have the answer we will find someone who can answer it for them.

It keeps us going knowing there are people who I looked after way in the beginning who when I see their family members now in the street still remember me. It is nice to hear their feedback and know you have made a difference and had an impact. It is a privilege to do the job that we do.

We are nice visitors but the most unwanted in terms of the circumstance.

People open the door to their private life and welcome us in when they are at their most vulnerable - there is a huge amount of trust there which we never take for granted.

Being part of Strathcarron gives you an insight into the best in people – they are so generous – without people giving donations and volunteering Hospice at Home would not be here.

People see the work that is done and know what a difference Strathcarron makes.

Find our more about Hospice at Home

Read more Strathcarron Hospice News