Making every moment matter for families in Dorset

How can we help you?

We've put together some commonly asked questions to give you more information about Weldmar and the services we offer.

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Weldmar Hospicecare Media Day 2023 Weldmar supporting patients and patients' family members such as Matt and his mum

30 things you may not know about Weldmar Hospicecare

We find that there are lots of misconceptions and myths about hospice care.

How many of the following facts are you aware of?

 

Back to '30 Years of Weldmar Hospicecare'
Weldmar Hospicecare

1. 83% of our care is provided in the community, via our Weldmar Community Nurses, Weldmar at Home team and other health care professionals. Our Inpatient Unit (hospice) is a very important part of our care, but there’s so much more to our services than this building.

2. We provide care and support for patients in around the last year of their life. It is a common misconception that we are only here for the very end, but that really isn’t the case.

3. We only receive 17% of our funding from the NHS, the remaining £27,500 that needs to be raised each and every day comes from the generosity of our local community.

4. All of our services are provided completely free of charge.

Lyme Regis Shop Manager Outside 30 ways to support Weldmar Hospicecare

5. Our care is provided as north as Gillingham, south as Weymouth and Portland and west as Lyme Regis, plus everywhere in between.

6. Our Weldmar Community Nurses are employed by, and funded by Weldmar Hospicecare. They are not associated with any national charity. You don’t get a Macmillan nurse – you get a Weldmar one!

7. We are an independent charity. Although there are over 220 hospices across the UK, each one is its own charity providing the same level of care and support that Weldmar is known for, in their local communities.

8. We have more than twenty charity stores across Dorset, with high street stores selling clothes, small household items and toys. This includes five larger outlets and superstores selling pre-loved furniture and large household items too. Pictured is our charity shop in Lyme Regis.

Weldmar Hospicecare

9. We have an online shop on eBay where more than 1,000 items are listed at any one time and are available to purchase from anywhere in the world.

10. We provide bereavement and emotional support for families before and after a loved one has died in our care, including for young children too.

11. We support carers who are often the partners or family members of those we are caring for. Providing them with emotional and practical support and enabling them the time to become a family member again.

12. We have over 900 volunteers who help us with various roles, with some of the less commonly known roles being walking patient’s dogs, picking up prescriptions and shopping, and flower arranging.

Weldmar Hospicecare

13. We don’t just care for patients with cancer, but any life limiting illness including MND and heart failure.

14. We are able to assist patients with staying as independent and mobile for as long as possible with our Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, who also assist with arranging equipment for the home.

15. Gifts left in Wills fund the care for 1 out of every 3 of our patients each and every year, the equivalent of over 420 people a year.

16. We have a 24/7 telephone advice line for patients known to Weldmar, which goes straight through to one of our nursing team.

17. We take donations of unwanted cars, which in turn we can auction or sell to raise vital funds for Weldmar Hospicecare.

Weldmar Hospicecare

18. We have our own Complementary Therapy team who provide treatments such as massage, reflexology and gentle touch to patients and their loved ones.

19. We were originally three separate charities, which were formed to create ‘Weldmar Hospicecare’. Find out more about that here.

20. We provide Wellbeing Support Sessions to patients, those experiencing bereavement, and carers, helping them to regain independence and support in a friendly environment.

21. You can have a career at Weldmar. Whether it is as a chef, nurse, part of our maintenance team, fundraising, administration or other areas of the charity’s vital work.

 

Weldmar Hospicecare

22. We are governed by a Board of Trustees who are all voluntary but bring a wealth of experience to ensure that we remain sustainable and are well run as a charity.

23. Our Inpatient Unit was built on Duchy land, and soon after opening the hospice, King Charles III (the then Prince Charles) became our Patron, where he has remained for the last 30 years.

24. Our services are available to anyone over the age of 18 years and we care for patients of any adult age, not just older people.

25. Our latest rating from the Care Quality Commission was ‘Outstanding’ which is the highest rating that can be awarded.

 

26. We work closely with GPs, district nursing teams and other providers to ensure that each patient receives the very best care and support.

27. Our Inpatient Unit is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing specialist care and support for often complex needs.

28. We can assist patients and their loved ones with accessing the correct benefits, care support and allowances, which can often be complex and confusing.

29. Well known faces who have paid a visit to our Inpatient Unit include Downtown Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes, actress Pauline Quirk, magician the late Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, and very loyal supporter, actor Martin Clunes. We’ve even had several royal visits from King Charles III.

30. It is simply down to our community, people like you, that we have been able to make every moment matter over the last 30 years for those who need our specialist support and care. Your continued support can help us be here for generations to come.

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