Published: Wednesday, 8th September, 2010 5:30pm

Hospice already at capacity after opening on Monday

The South Westmeath Hospice is at capacity after taking in four patients when it opened on Monday.

The hospice held an open day last Friday, September 3, and drew a large crowd, with many people who had helped to fundraise for the facility showing up on the day to take a look at the new unit.

The four-bedroom unit is warm and welcoming and the staff were on hand to give guided tours around the facility, which includes a sitting room leading into the garden and a kitchen area for patients and their families. The four individual rooms all come with TVs, telephones and recliner chairs and there is a family room which can be used overnight by family members; offices and a boardroom.

Clinical Nurse Manager for Longford/Westmeath Margaret Wilkie explained that the hospice will have 15.5 staff for the four-bed unit, but the community team is now also based at the hospice building at the St Vincent's campus.

She said the team was delighted that the facility was open and said the aim was to make it as welcoming as possible for patients and their families.

"Palliative care sadly means that cure is not possible. The aim is to focus on quality of life whatever the life expectancy is, which means good symptom control, supporting the person and their family and being there when the person is dying. Some people may go home, but we also have respite care to give families a break. Most people would still want to die at home, but for those people who need extra support we have this facility," Ms Wilkie said. "This is the first unit in the midlands and to have a unit here to help them is fantastic."

She added that the family room is for family members who wish to stay overnight and there is also a relatives kitchen where they can make tea and coffee and a relaxing sitting room for patients and their families.

Ms Wilkie said that the open day was busy, saying: "It's lovely to be able to show off what local people have done. It's amazing to see what we've achieved from the local community. They can see it now and there are patients out there who need it. It's because of the local people fundraising that this is possible."

The contribution of the local community is clearly valued at South Westmeath Hospice, where a sign inside the door reads: "South Westmeath Hospice gratefully acknowledges the kind support of its many benefactors through individual donations, organised events, sporting clubs and company organisations throughout the south Westmeath area and beyond. Such magnificent and generous support has facilitated the construction and fit-out of this hospice building to cater for the needs of cancer patients and their families. The building is testament to the wonderful community spirit of south Westmeath."