As part of Hospice Awareness Week, Cancer Relief has focused on community outreach and shifting how we think about end-of-life and palliative care, while extending gratitude to our Hospice Outreach Service (HOS) Team for the crucial support they provide.
Too often, conversations around hospice care are left to the absolute last minute, when in fact these community conversations are an integral part of living well and preserving personal autonomy. By opening the dialogue early, we remove the fear and stigma, empowering individuals and their families to take the lead in their own care.
Beth, Cancer Relief Event Coordinator, says:
“As part of Hospice Awareness Week, Cancer Relief has focused on community outreach and shifting how we think about end-of-life and palliative care while extending gratitude to our HOS Team for the crucial support they provide. Too often, conversations around hospice care are left to the absolute last minute, when in fact these community conversations are an integral part of living well and preserving personal autonomy. By opening the dialogue early, we remove the fear and stigma, empowering individuals and their families to take the lead in their own care.”
Hospice Care Is Not Just About the Final Days
Hospice care is not just about the final days.
In fact, around 40% have been with our service for a year or more. It is about supporting people throughout their journey.
Only a small proportion of our work is with people who are actively dying. Many of our visits focus on wellbeing, such as practical support, complementary therapies, or simply a chat over a coffee. Because sometimes just being there is what matters most.
You Lead. We Support and Go Where You Are
We visit most of our clients in the community but can also see you at our Centre or in hospital if needed and work with you to provide care wherever we can.
Your care is individual to you. There’s no “one size fits all” approach, whether you decide to talk openly about your illness or not at all. That’s okay, we can still support your emotional wellbeing.
Sometimes You Just Need Time to Talk
We can offer a relaxed space to talk about what is happening. No medical appointment. No pressure. Just time to be heard and understood.
We See the Person, Not Just the Illness
Sometimes that means supporting the people around them too, and you don’t have to be someone’s next of kin to access our services.
Supporting the Whole Person
Debbie, Hospice Outreach Service Lead and Clinical Nurse Specialist, explains:
“Hospice care is not about waiting for the final days; it is about walking alongside people to ensure they live each day with dignity, comfort, and control. Our team is there to support the whole person, and their support network, not just the illness.”
The People Behind the Care
Nic, Cancer Relief CEO, shared:
“As CEO, I am incredibly proud of the work carried out by our Hospice Outreach Service team and the extraordinary value they bring to our community. Their dedication, compassion and professionalism make a real difference to the lives of our service users and their loved ones, often at some of the most difficult and uncertain times. They consistently go above and beyond, not only delivering care but building trust, offering reassurance and becoming an integral part of each service user’s journey. To the people they support, they are much more than nurses or healthcare assistants; they are advocates, listeners, companions and a vital source of strength throughout that journey.”
Changing the Conversation Around Hospice Care
As Cancer Relief Gibraltar’s Hospice Outreach Service demonstrates every day, hospice care is not about waiting for the final days; it is about walking alongside people to ensure they live each day with dignity, comfort, and control.
Our team is there to support the whole person, and their support network, not just the illness.
By normalising these conversations, we can ensure that everyone in our community feels heard, supported, and truly has a say in their whole journey.
“Because sometimes just being there is what matters most.”
Gratitude to Our Hospice Team
As Hospice Awareness Week comes to a close, we proudly presented our hospice team with a collection of inspiring messages and appreciation notes gathered through our ‘Hearts for Hospice’ station.
