East Lancashire Hospice brings memory-making into the heart of the community through a new initiative with the Hospice at Home team.

Aimed at supporting memory-making activities in patients’ own homes, this initiative is part of the Hospice’s ongoing commitment to develop services into the community, ensuring equal access to hospice care for all.

Memory-making is an essential aspect of palliative care, offering individuals and their friends/families a chance to create lasting, meaningful moments together. These activities provide emotional comfort, a creative outlet, and an opportunity to strengthen connections during some of life’s most difficult moments – and often long after.

Each member of the Hospice at Home team has now been equipped with a specially prepared toolbox containing a variety of craft supplies and sensory materials. These portable toolkits allow staff to respond flexibly and opportunistically when patients or families express a desire to participate in memory-making. The toolboxes include items such as art materials, worry stones, and other sensory objects designed to support emotional regulation and provide distraction during times of agitation or distress.

The development of these toolboxes is to provide memory-making activities to all patients and their friends/families. The addition of the sensory materials has been in response to an increase in referrals for people living with dementia to the Hospice at Home service.

The team has been actively working to expand their skills and resources to ensure they can provide sensitive, personalised support tailored to the needs of patients and their friends/families navigating complex and emotional circumstances.

East Lancashire Hospice is also inviting members of the public to support this initiative by donating crafty or sensory supplies. Contributions will help ensure the Hospice at Home team can continue to offer these meaningful activities to as many people as possible.

If you’d like to support this initiative and donate craft/sensory items to the Hospice, please drop them off at the main reception at East Lancashire Hospice, located on Park Lee Road, Blackburn BB2 3NY.

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