Category: Hospice @Home

Nurse, art teacher, volunteer and grandmother of 12 – life is never dull for Sarah Mills.

That is just how she likes it, juggling her many commitments.

Sarah has just completed 20 years as a bank nurse at East Cheshire Hospice, working an average of a shift a week on the Hospice @Home team.

Sarah Mills with six of her grandchildren.

Sarah, from Bollington, said: “Being a bank nurse means I’m like an extra, but I love it. It’s a brilliant job and allows me to manage my other commitments.

“I can control when I work. It sounds very privileged, but I’m able do lots of other voluntary things as well.

“I’ve been with the Hospice @Home team for about five years. It’s such a privileged job visiting people who want to be at home in their final days and who wouldn’t have had that opportunity before.

“We provide care and support for a family who may never have experienced an end-of-life situation. We can explain what to expect and hopefully, reassure and encourage them.

“We see the person in their entirety, surrounded by loved ones, as well as personal and familiar objects which provide comfort for them.

Sarah Mills enjoying the outdoors with her family.

“I’ve been a bank nurse all my career, including in the NHS. But the Hospice has such a different atmosphere with the time and opportunity to provide more sensitive and emotional care than is possible in the NHS.

“The Hospice has specialists in all areas and regular training provides a good base for all staff.”

Sarah is a member of the church council at St Barnabas and also keeps busy by supporting friends with needs.

She admits she is a better nurse than art teacher, a role she does to help daughter Katy who home educates her six children, the eldest of whom is 14.

“The children come round and we do drawing and painting, art appreciation, sewing and other creative media and have lots of fun. That takes up quite a bit of my time, but I thoroughly enjoy being the art teacher!”

Sarah and husband Cliff, a lawyer with the Co-operative movement, have three sons and two daughters.

Going into homes caring for dying patients can be tough.

But it is also highly rewarding, as Hospice @Home nurses at East Cheshire Hospice know so well.

As the service reaches its fifth anniversary, staff have spoken at their pride helping patients at the most precious moment of their life.

Hospice @Home staff (from left) Sally Heaven, Helen Singleton and Gill Tomlinson.

Rapid response nurse Helen Singleton has been visiting homes since the start.

She said: “On that first day five years ago we hit the floor running. We were asked to go to a village I’d never heard of. Within two visits, we had got the patient safe and comfortable and the daughter was relieved.

“Dying is not easy. There is discomfort and there may be pain.

“Carers can be physically and emotionally exhausted, even traumatised. They may feel lonely and isolated and the household becomes chaotic.

“These are the reasons Hospice @Home exists. We endeavour to address all these difficulties, alongside our NHS and social care provider colleagues.”

Helen and colleagues use one of three Hospice cars which have made more than 14,000 home visits, day and night.

She said: “At 3 am on my last shift just by listening, we enabled a couple to make a difficult decision at home. Within a few hours, their wishes had been acted upon and the patient opted to go into the Hospice.

“Like all endeavours we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve managed to overcome the downs and have built on the ups. From a small team, we’re now a large team of 25, providing a wonderful array of services round the clock.

“We’ve fostered respect and co-operation with other services and as a hub for East Cheshire we’re a major focus for palliative care provision.

“We couldn’t have done this without our supporters and the donation of the cars has been much appreciated.”

Helen’s comments are echoed by colleagues, some of whom have raised funds for a service they are all passionate about.

Health care assistant Elaine Taylor had her head shaved. She said: “The job is so rewarding. It’s a privilege caring for patients at end-of-life.

“We get lovely messages from families when relatives have passed away, saying they couldn’t have coped without us.”

The service has helped over 1,000 people to die in their preferred place of death, either at home, or in the Hospice. Initially covering weekends and nights, it was extended to 24 hours in 2020.

Senior nurse Sue Milligan is the latest addition to the specialist East Cheshire Hospice team which provides patients with palliative care in the comfort of their own home.

Sue – known as Millie – has joined the charity’s Hospice @Home team as a sister after spending her entire career in health care.

That vast medical experience further strengthens a Hospice service widely acclaimed for its vital role within the Macclesfield community and beyond.

Sue previously worked for NHS Cheshire Commissioning Group as an individual commissioning nurse.

She assessed patients in community settings and advised on whether they met the criteria for continuing health care, a role which brought her into contact with the Hospice.

Sue Milligan who is part of the Hospice @Home team at East Cheshire Hospice.

Sue said: “The contact increased over the years and I was lucky enough to be involved in discussions to expand the Hospice @Home service. This was the catalyst to finally make the leap to become part of the team.

“I’m enjoying being part of the development and expansion of the service and the team have made me most welcome, just as they did  when on the end of a phone. I hope to make a small but positive difference here.”

Sue’s partner Iggy worked at Macclesfield District General Hospital as paediatric consultant for 16 years before retiring a couple of years ago.

The couple, who have three children, moved to Macclesfield 18 years ago when Sue switched from paediatrics to become a district nurse.

She later joined the hospital as part of the integrated discharge team, assisting patients to either access rehab units, return home, or stay in an appropriate community setting.

The Hospice @Home service has had a huge impact since it was launched in October, 2017, initially covering ‘out-of-hours’ and weekends before expanding early last year to cover 24 hours a day.

Essentially, it extends the end-of-life care provided in the Hospice inpatient unit into people’s own homes, thereby reducing unwanted hospital admissions.

The service provides hands-on medical care, psychological support, symptom management, end-of-life care and care after death.

Nurses and co-ordinators work closely with other health care agencies, including GPs, district nurses, Macmillan and Marie Curie.

That collaboration is seen as key to the success of Hospice @Home which has been well received by patients, their families and carers.

* For more details on Hospice @Home visit eastcheshirehospice.org.uk.