LAST week marked Hospice Care Week (5-11 October) and in these unprecedented times, now, more than ever, people at end of life and their families need our care and support.

As the country’s leading end of life charity - we cared for over 8,500 people across Scotland last year - we understand how vital it is for terminally ill people to receive the very best care in their final years, months, weeks and days.

That’s why we have continued to be at frontline during the pandemic, caring for people in the community in their homes and at our hospice in Edinburgh. At any one time we support over 300 people who live at home in the capital and the West Lothian area. One way we do this is through Day Therapy sessions which support people at end of life - both physically and emotionally.

Due to restrictions brought on by the pandemic, we are adapting the ways we work and finding creative solutions to ensure patients don’t miss out on this vital service. We now provide virtual consultations, coffee mornings, gentle exercise and relaxation online, giving our patients the opportunity to engage with others and tackle the loneliness and isolation brought on by local restrictions.

The people that we care for don’t have the luxury of time and it’s important that we continue to help people live while they are dying.

LIBBY MILTON,

Clinical Services Lead,

Marie Curie.