1 in 4 families can’t get the care they need when their loved one is dying. You can help change that.
What will we do with your donation?
Every year over 160,000 people can’t get the care they need when their loved one is dying.
At Hospice UK we want to change that. But we need people like you to help make it happen.
Your donation will allow us to support hospices across the country to increase their reach and support even more people. We will also work with national governments and local communities to make sure all hospices have the right resources and support to look after those most in need at the end of their life.
Choose how you would like to help
Why we need your donation
1 in 4 UK families can’t get the care they need and deserve when their loved one is dying. You can help change that. You can help to make sure hospice care is there for everyone, no matter where you live, who you are, or why you are ill.
Your donations enable Hospice UK to work with organisations, decision-makers, and the public to make things better for people who are dying. Your support also allows us to equip hospice staff with the knowledge, skills, and expertise needed to deliver care.
Case Study
People like you helped Jay
Jo and Jay were leading a happy, ‘normal’ life with Jo’s two sons when Jay noticed something concerning. He was having difficulty swallowing food.
Jay was diagnosed with Stage 4 Gastro-Oesophageal cancer.
Despite Jay’s initial optimism, he wasn’t responding well to his treatment. He used to say, “Jo, I can’t do this. I’m dying, aren’t I?”
“After further investigations, they found that the cancer had metastasized pretty much everywhere in the stomach cavity. After the terminal diagnosis, I remember the journey home. We just couldn’t talk, it was too hard. We were faced with not just the possibility, but the reality of it. I remember thinking, ‘How do I tell the boys?’
Just a couple of days later, Jay couldn’t walk and was finding everything difficult. That’s when the hospice team stepped in.
“We spoke to Douglas Macmillan Hospice and they were just amazing. Words can’t express how grateful I am to them. If I ever rang the hospice up to say Jay looked like he was in pain, within an hour I had a nurse in my front room, making sure his pain and his syringe drivers were done. I can’t put into words what that meant. In his last 10 days, I think I cried more than I’ve ever cried in my life. It was incredibly upsetting, but strangely it was also the best 10 days because I spent them purely with him. We used to lie together and just talk and watch our favourite TV shows. It was special in a really upsetting way.
Importantly, with the support of the hospice and care teams, they facilitated a ‘good death’ for him. That is what I carry with me now, that they listened to him and to me and made sure that in the saddest of times, we could treasure the memories of those days. I know Jay was grateful for all their help.”
Thank you to Jo for sharing her story.
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to help
Still need a reason to donate?
Many of us will encounter a hospice in our lifetime. Until then, we may not fully appreciate just how important they are. Your support now can help us make sure that hospice care will be there for you now, and long into the future.
