What does a hospice do?

In New Zealand hospice staff and their associated palliative care and volunteer teams are skilled at helping you manage your end of life care. Hospices often provide inpatient services for respite, symptom and pain management, or support if their care cannot be provided elsewhere. At the end of life, some people may have the option to spend time in a hospice.

Many people picture a hospice as a place you go to die. In fact, a hospice is an approach to care that enable you to live well at the end of life. A lot of those who receive hospice care stay in their own homes, which could be your house, a family member's home, or a care home. The hospice team will come to you and work alongside your GP, nurses or any other people you want involved in your care.

Hospice looks after your whole wellbeing, not just your physical symptoms. Depending on your local hospice, support may include:

• specialist doctors and nurses to help manage pain and other symptoms
• counselling, social work, and spiritual care
• physiotherapy and occupational therapy
• art, music, and biography writing
• cultural support, including for Māori and whānau.
• grief and bereavement support for those closest to you after you have died

Services vary from hospice to hospice, so it's worth asking your local one what they offer.

How to get hospice support

You can be referred by your GP, a hospital team, or your aged care facility. You can also contact your local hospice yourself, or ask a family member to do so for you, and ask about their criteria. Most people are referred when their illness can no longer be cured and they need specialist support.

Some people put off hospice because it feels like "giving up". It isn't. Hospice care focuses on helping you live as well as possible, and many people say they wish they had got involved sooner.

To find the hospice nearest you, use the map at hospice.org.nz.

Find practical resources ‘A Guide for Carers’ and ‘The Palliative Care Handbook 2019’ (9th Edition) at hospice.org.nz. They also have a helpful guide for navigating a terminal diagnosis.