Family Support Services

Our family support services will help you, your family and your loved ones deal with everything you are facing at this time. All the following services are available to patients of Saint Francis Hospice.

Practical Support

You may need help liaising with your employer or your child’s school, or you may worry what will happen if you can’t cope at home. No matter what the issue, our team will help you resolve it so that you can live the last part of your life free from practical concerns.

Emotional and Psychological Support for You

Being diagnosed with a life limiting illness requires a huge adjustment in the way that you think about your life now and in the future. You will doubtless experience a range of emotions, as will your family and friends, and you may find some of these emotions bewildering. We offer emotional support to help you express and come to terms with your anxieties, allowing you to make sense of your personal life journey.

Support for Families and Carers

Like every hospice, we treat our patients not with their illness uppermost in mind, but with their quality of life uppermost in mind. This means their whole life – physical, emotional, social and spiritual. We understand that your loved ones will play a huge role in what is happening to you. This will be a difficult time for them and they may need support as they find how best to cope with the situation. Our Children and Family Therapists will show you how to gain support from each other and help you to make important decisions. They are specialists and experienced in talking to adults, children and young people of all ages. Our support services are free and we can get involved from the time when you are diagnosed with a life limiting illness.

Bereavement Support

Our professionally trained bereavement counsellors are available to help your family, friends and carers come to terms with your loss through talking and sharing their feelings and experiences on a one to one basis or with others in a support group. When someone has died it is natural to turn to family and friends for support but often they too are struggling with feelings of grief. An independent listener can be a real support and comfort at this time. Our bereavement counsellors are willing to meet family members, carers, friends, or anyone connected with the person who has died. Ask for more information about this free, confidential service.