Being there in the community
Over the last year our dedicated Community Clinical Nurse Specialists made over 5,500 visits to patients and their families. Our nurses offered symptom control, emotional support and advice to those in need.
We have been providing specialist care in the homes of our patients for nearly 30 years and today, this is still where the majority of our care takes place.
Travelling over 50,000 miles visiting people at home, the team covered the length and breathe of North Devon and visited many towns, villages and hamlets in between. Each nurse continues to work alongside their local GP practices, with District Nurses, health and social care teams, hospitals and care homes to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families.
Service description:
With a large proportion of our patients choosing to be supported at home, our team of nurses work closely with patients and carers, offering them support in their own homes or place of choice. Following a referral from a GP or Consultant, each patient is visited by one of our nurses and a care package is agreed and from that point onwards, that patient will always be visited by the same nurse. Visits from our nurses can be reassuring and offer great comfort to patients and their families, often giving support and advice on:
- Advice on pain and symptom control
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Practical support
- Support for family and loved ones
Every hospice nurse is linked to a GP surgery within a particular area. As a team they work alongside 22 GP practices other health and social care colleagues in primary, secondary and tertiary settings throughout North Devon.
Service location:
The hospice’s team of Community Nurse Specialists provide outreach care and support throughout North Devon. The vast majority of their care is delivered to people in their own homes. The nursing team also visit patients in Care Homes and Community Hospitals.
Contact us:
To find out more about our Community Nursing Service or find out more about the nurse working in your area, please contact us.
Keely Dempsey, Community Clinical Nurse Specialist Team Leader
keelydempsey@northdevonhospice.org.uk / 01271 344248
Contact us