Once a week, our patients living at home can attend the Donegal Hospice. There, they can avail of a wide range of palliative care Day services, which would not otherwise be available to them. Day hospice is held in a separate area of the hospice set aside for this purpose.

When do Day Hospice patients attend?

Patients are admitted to this service for a period of ten weeks. After discharge patients are followed up by the community palliative care team at all times and may even be re-admitted to the Day Hospice at a later date if required.

How are patients admitted to the Day Hospice?

Referrals may come from patients, carers, or health care workers – but all referrals must be formally approved by the patients’ own General Practitioner, under whose care they remain at all times. The community palliative care team will then assess the appropriateness of the referral.

What is the role of Day Hospice?

Day hospice introduces our patients to the Donegal Hospice, affords a range of palliative care services normally only available to in-patients, and provides much needed respite for patients and carers. By bringing patients together in an attractive environment Day hospice allows social interaction, complimentary therapies and allows a palliative care review.

The Day Hospice philosophy

The Day Hospice acts as link between our patients in the community and the in-patients unit. For some, this may be the first view they get of the hospice. Day Hospice can act to dispel fears and doubts that some of our patients may have about Hospice. Our fundamental ethos is one of promotion of quality of life, thereby maintaining our patients in their own home environment. This is achieved by the provision of a wide spectrum of holistic care, ranging from the clinical to the complimentary.

What actually happens in day Hospice?

Patients attending the day hospice will be transported to and from day care by their relatives or carers. A senior nurse and care assistant will care for and provide supervision of patients during their daytime stay. A lunchtime meal will be provided. Day care activities traditionally draw on the range of services available locally – and in this respect the Donegal Hospice is particularly well endowed. We propose to establish a variety of activities including: hairdressing, beauty therapy, relaxation therapy, art and musical therapy, day hospice gardening, some of which will encourage social interaction and group work, however some giving an opportunity for individual pampering. These activities will be varied according to individual needs. Day hospice also affords access to the multidisciplinary palliative care team, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical and nursing review.  As part of the development of this service we shall be auditing the views and opinions of our patients and their carers on what they find most useful within the Day Hospice Service.

Day Hospice.

All patients for admission to the day hospice service are assessed by either the Community Palliative Care Team or the Hospital Support team at Letterkenny General Hospital and must have formal approval from their general Practitioner to attend. Day Hospice is available to all patients under the palliative care team irrespective of age or gender. Patients will attend once a week between the hours of 10:00am and 3:30pm. Transport to and from the Day Hospice is the responsibility of the patient’s family or carers.

Patients unable to be present must inform the Day Hospice at the latest on the Day prior to their appointed time of attendance. Patients must bring all their own regular day-time medications to the Day Hospice. As the Day Hospice cannot prescribe medication, failure to do so will result in the patients being refused admission to the Day Hospice on that day. Please note that all patients attending the day hospice remain under the care of their own General Practitioner.

The Day Hospice provides an exciting opportunity to improve upon the quality of life of our patients in the community. It allows ‘time out’ for both patients and carers by providing the necessary care and support in a friendly and homely environment. In partnership with the Donegal Hospice Voluntary Body we are delighted to announce the initiation of this new service and are confident that it will complement the other palliative care services in Hospice, Hospital and Community which are already soundly developed and very well received by the people of Donegal.