Rowans Hospice offers end-of-life training for Portsmouth care homes

The Rowans Hospice, in Purbrook, has visited 10 homes in Portsmouth to deliver the workshops.

Commissioned by Portsmouth City Council, the training is aimed at helping staff feel more comfortable about having end-of-life care conversations with their residents and delivering high-quality care.

The Six Steps to End of Life Care programme is free for the care homes and has received positive feedback.

Tasmin Atkins, from Clarendon Care Home, in Southsea, said: ‘The training has made a difference to the residents and their end-of-life care.

‘They are more involved in considering their options and voicing their wishes which we can support them with.

‘We also involve their families in making decisions together rather than the health professionals making their decisions for them.

‘The format and structure has enabled us to give the best care possible to the most vulnerable at the end of life.’

The Rowans Hospice offers palliative care for people in Portsmouth and surrounding areas. It has a range of services including the hospice on Purbrook Heath Road, home-visiting services and a Living Well Centre.

The difference in end-of-life care offered by the 10 care homes has been picked up by watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

In a recent report from one of the participating care homes, the CQC inspector said: ‘The registered manager told us they were completing an end-of-life course run by the local hospice.

‘They described how this was helping them to understand what good end-of-life care meant and how they could provide this.

‘They said this had strengthened their relationship with the hospice and were able to access support when needed.’