What sort of illness leads to hospice care? Expand Hospice care is appropriate for anyone who has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. In 2017/18, a third of people admitted to our hospice ward had been diagnosed with conditions other than cancer, such as heart failure, respiratory disease, dementia and motor neurone disease.
When will I need hospice care? Expand No longer do hospices only care for people when they are at the very end of their lives. As well as being there for the last hours and days of life, we now can offer more flexible support sooner in your illness. Your GP or other health professional can refer you to our services when you are thought to have five or fewer years to live. This means we are able to better understand your future needs and how we can support you to live as well as possible for the time you have.
Will I have to pay for my care? Expand All of the services provided by Mountbatten are free to those who need them. This is thanks to the incredible generosity of our Island community which, every year, supports us in raising the £8million it costs to run our services.
Can I leave the hospice ward (inpatient unit)? Expand We encourage people to live as normally as possible on our hospice ward (inpatient unit). If you are well enough, perhaps with assistance, to go home or to visit somewhere this will be supported. However, you must ensure staff on the ward are aware of your plans. You may stay on our hospice ward for a period of respite, so we can get your pain and other symptoms under control, before returning home again. Some people may leave the hospice to spend their last days at home, supported by our Mountbatten at Home team.