Strathcarron Hospice has always felt a part of its local communities, and we have a long history of providing care out with the Hospice building - from Community Nurse Specialists, Hospice at Home, Lymphoedema and bereavement services. The majority of our patients are seen in their own communities and their own home.
Community development is a natural and logistical extension to what we do. We support people to have as good a life as possible until the very end, and to have as good a death as possible. Normalising death and dying and early involvement with palliative care improves lives.
We embark on this journey alongside communities. We have accepted the challenge of standing back, rather than taking over. People don't have to talk about death and dying, but when they are ready for the conversation, so are we.
What was originally a befriending idea to combat lonliness, The Snowdrop Café is open to all - a safe and happy community meeting place. Grab a coffee, a slice of cake and have a blether. Snowdrop Cafés are run by your local community, for your local community. Read more
Alongside Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) Forth Valley and FoodTrain Falkirk, we have all committed to the Home from Hospital project, with support from Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), and Clackmannanshire and Stirling HSCP. This Hospital Link Worker Service (HLWS) and coordinated community has been a highly successful “out of hospital” wrap around care across Forth Valley. The service has helped over hundreds of local people get home safely from hospital and as partners, we' Read more
When “Eleanor” posted on social media about a successful Tool Library in the South of England, and posed the question “would it work here?”, I dropped her a message, encouraging her to have a go. I asked if she knew anyone local who could help her with this. I asked if she knew “Mary”, and offered to introduce them. A successful introduction led to “Eleanor”, “Mary” and her neighbours setting up a chat group where a further 10 people were added. Read more
During the Pandemic, our Community Animator became aware of tensions arising between residents of two small villages. By offering a listening ear, and hearing their issues and different priorities, they're now coming together “neighbour helping neighbour”. Read more
Our recent Webinar with Cormac Russell was an opportunity to present and discuss our learnings on the importance of putting Community at the Heart of the Hospice Movement. Read more
Strathcarron Compassionate Neighbours are volunteers from our local communities who can help people to make connections in a number of different ways. Read more