What do you think when you hear the word hospice?
Calling Calderdale residents your thoughts and opinions on Overgate Hospice Calderdale, are needed.
Healthwatch Calderdale is helping Overgate Hospice to improve services for families in Calderdale by gathering your feedback. Please complete our 5-minute survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/overgateSmed
If you’d prefer to complete the survey over the phone or require an easy read version please contact us:
Telephone: 01422 399 433
Email: info@healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk
When we hear the word ‘hospice’ we might think only of end-of-life care. However, hospices like Overgate Hospice in Calderdale provide much more. Their mission is to help families make the most of the time they have left together.
By understanding what people in Calderdale already know about the hospice and what support they might need in the future Overgate is keen to make their services even better and has asked Healthwatch Calderdale to gather your opinions which will be kept anonymous.
The responses you provide will help us to come up with recommendations and ideas for what else Overgate can offer patients and their families.
Read Sheila’s full story here
How does your feedback help?
In 2018, recognising that education is key, Overgate Hospice responded to feedback and helped establish The Horizon Group – a training model that provides education to tackle health inequalities in Calderdale. Sharing your views and opinions means that future services will be improved based on what local people want and need.
Overgate Hospice is not just for the elderly. The team of experts provides specialist palliative care to anyone over the age of 18 years old who is living with a life-limiting illness.
They provide all of their care free of charge to patients and their carers, family members, and friends thanks to the generosity of the Calderdale community.
This free care, support, and advice is for anyone over 18 with a life-limiting illness including, but not restricted to: respiratory disorders, heart disease, Parkinson’s, cancer, motor neurone disease, and other neurological problems.
Hi, I’m Felicity and I spent last Christmas at Overgate Hospice while they cared for my mum Barbara.
My mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in November 2019 which came as a huge shock to the whole family. In the weeks that followed my mum’s health deteriorated and she was in an increasing amount of pain. On 18th December she was admitted to Overgate Hospice to help with symptom management and pain control. My sister and I hoped this would give Mum a chance to relax and allow us the time to get a care plan in place for her when she came home.
The minute we arrived the staff could not do enough for us. Wayne was the first nurse we saw and he was so warm and friendly and immediately made us feel at ease. The Hospice was nothing like I imagined, it is smaller than I expected and much more relaxed and homelier. Mum was made comfortable in her bed and the doctors and nurses took the time to talk to us both.
As Christmas approached we knew Mum would be spending Christmas at the Hospice but the staff made it clear that they would do everything to make Christmas as special as possible for us. My two children were able to visit and they felt comfortable being there. They spent time in the family room or could head outside for some fresh air if needed. Having them there made it much easier for me to spend time with Mum and it meant so much to my Mum to still have them around. On Christmas Day the whole family came to the Hospice to enjoy the day together. The kitchen staff made a delicious three-course Christmas dinner for us with all the trimmings. Mum wasn’t feeling great so settled back into bed after her starter whilst we finished our meal but I will never forget seeing her eyes light up when the drinks trolley appeared and watching her sit in bed sipping her vodka through a straw made the day. As a family, we will always be so grateful that Mum was at the Hospice and comfortable in her final days but also that we got to spend one last Christmas together. Overgate made it a truly special one.
Why do we need to hear from you?
If you live or work in Calderdale we are aiming to find out what you currently know about Overgate Hospice? We’re also looking to understand more about how the hospice is working for the people who use it.
Overgate Hospice contacted Healthwatch Calderdale asking if we could support them to gather feedback. The feedback will help them get a better understanding of what local people think the Hospice does and can offer so they can improve how they raise awareness and spread the word about how they help patients and families in Calderdale.
It’s important we gather feedback from a wide range of people including members of the public, patients, and family members who are using or have used the hospice. By working in partnership we can help Overgate Hospice reach more people. We are an independent organisation so you can be comfortable that your views are coming directly to Healthwatch Calderdale and will remain anonymous.
Thank you for taking the time to give feedback that will help shape the services offered by Overgate Hospice to people in our region.
Make a difference in your community
Please share your opinions on what you think a hospice can offer:
Complete the survey online at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/overgateSmed
Over the phone with the friendly team at Healthwatch Calderdale: 01422 399 433
Or email for a printed version of the survey: info@healthwatchcalderdale.co.ukThe survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete and helps to make lasting and meaningful changes for local families.
Thank you.