”We’re incredibly grateful to receive £5,157 from the Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust. The grant will
provide essential end-of-life care training for local nursing home staff, so that they are better
equipped to support our community in the Harrogate district.”
The award funds the Saint Michael’s Hospice specialist medical team to provide training
programmes and materials, alongside weekly support and guidance to nursing home staff.
The sessions will be relevant to end of life care in advanced dementia, including hydration, nutrition,
pain assessment, advanced care planning including DNACPR (‘Do not attempt cardiopulmonary
resuscitation’), communication and care in a patient’s final days. Alongside training, the grant will
provide capacity for Saint Michael’s specialist staff to spend time in the nursing homes to build
supportive relationships, assess and review the training and share palliative care best practice.
The project’s aim is to ensure that nursing home staff will be better equipped to provide excellent
end-of-life care to people living with advanced dementia in nursing homes and be able to link with
specialist hospice services to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients, at the end of their
lives.