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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions we receive here at Kilbryde Hospice.

What is a hospice?

A hospice is a specialist centre for supporting people with a life-limiting illness – that is an illness that is not responsive to curative treatment.

Nowadays hospices tend to care for people with very complicated needs for a short time to enable these problems to be helped  to allow them to be discharged back home or to a care home.

How long do people stay in the hospice if they are admitted?

This depends on the patient’s particular needs. There is no minimum or maximum length of stay.

Over the last year our average length of stay has been about two weeks. Kilbryde Hospice does not offer long-term care as this is a service that is offered by other services in South Lanarkshire such as care homes. On occasions some patients do sometimes stay longer than usual because of very complicated and changing needs. Each person is assessed on an individual basis. 

Aren't hospices places where people only come to die?

No, not at all. Many patients under our care stay at home throughout the course of their illness and die peacefully in their own home.

Many patients have only one admission whilst others have two or more. Some patients choose to die in the hospice once they get to know us and death is approaching. Other patients and sometimes their families too will change their minds about care at home when death approaches and we are happy to support them with the choice that they make.

Can I only be referred for hospice care when I am actually dying?

No, you can be referred to Kilbryde Hospice at any stage in your illness. Many people are referred to the hospice when they are first diagnosed as we can provide support in many areas throughout the course of their disease, such as symptom control or rehabilitation after treatment. This care may be through our CLAN (Compassionate Lanarkshire) team or our Day Services. In  some instances a person may need a short admission to our In-patient Unit to control symptoms before returning home again.

Do you only take people with cancer?

We accept referrals for  any person who has a progressive life-limiting disease that is not responsive to curative treatment’.

What this means is that we take people with cancers that are deemed not to be curable. Also people with illnesses such as  heart disease, lung disease, neurological disease  where they have been informed that the disease is not curative.

This doesn’t mean that we only get involved at the end of someone’s life; we can support people at different stages of their illness, including in the early stages. This support is based on individual needs at the time and can include providing a broad range of information, opportunities to plan for the future, emotional support, assessment and management of symptoms, therapies to improve function and well-being and offer support to family members.

Do you accept patients from any religion/background?

Kilbryde Hospice is a voluntary independent hospice which exists to provide compassionate, specialist palliative care to people with life limiting progressive illnesses and to their relatives and carers. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, faith, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age or financial means

How do I get referred to Kilbryde Hospice?

If you think you need to be referred to our inpatient or outpatient services, please contact our triage hub on 01355 202020 option 3 Clinical Admin or email clinicaladmin@kilbrydehospice.org.uk

Admission to our inpatient unit requires a referral by your community or specialist nurse, your GP or hospital doctor. Please see our referral information for healthcare professionals. 

Can I get advice from Kilbryde Hospice without a referral?

Yes, if you or one of your relatives has been diagnosed with a life-limiting or terminal illness and you wish some support you are welcome to Drop In to our hospice Mon – Friday 10am – 4pm. Just drop in and ask to see one of our team. If we can’t help we know someone who can.

Would you be able to provide care for me in my home if I don't want to come into the Hospice?

Kilbryde Hospice supports people to be cared for and to die where they wish. The hospice has a small community team, CLAN ( Compassionate Lanarkshire) and Day Services who will support you with emotional support at home. We also work closely with our the South Lanarkshire Home Care team, local community nurses and specialist palliative care team to support you at home.  These teams will visit you in your own home to assess your needs and to discuss a plan of care that meets your needs and fits in with the care that your family can provide.

What are the visiting times for the wards?

Our usual visiting hours are 2pm – 8pm. This enables families and friends to spend time with patients, whilst giving all patients an opportunity to rest. There may be certain situations where visits outside of these hours can be accommodated; this needs to be agreed in advance with a member of the team. Please ask to speak to the nurse in charge. 

If you have any symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting or any respiratory symptoms please phone the nurse in charge of the unit before visiting. We may ask you to delay your visit until your symptoms resolve or make allowances for you to visit. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Get in touch with Kilbryde Hospice

Fill out the form below with your personal contact information and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible to assist you.

You can also contact us using the methods below:

  • Registered Company Number: SC224366
  • Registered Charity Number: 032424

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