In 1988 a need was identified for a hospice service on the north side of Dublin. Over the years, numerous individuals, groups and organisations have provided the dedication and financial support to enable St. Francis Hospice to develop from its humble roots to a comprehensive specialist palliative care service serving north Dublin City and County.
The service is based on a Christian philosophy, which recognises the need to treat each person with dignity, respect and compassion, irrespective of their cultural or religious background. Our current range of services within the community includes specialist palliative care, Hospice Day Care, Out-Patient services, our 19 bed In-Patient Unit and Bereavement Support Services. All of our services are provided free of charge to patients and families.
The Home Care Service (now called the Community Palliative Care Team) was established in 1989, originally based in a Portacabin in the grounds of the Capuchin Friary. It provides a specialist advisory and support service to patients and their families in their own homes.
The Capuchin Friars donated the site of their monastery garden and St. Francis Hospice Raheny was built in two phases. In 1993, office and meeting space for the Home care team and a purpose-built Hospice Day Care Centre opened. The Hospice Day Care service began that year, providing patients with a place to come for support and advice from the multidisciplinary team and to receive complementary therapies.
The second phase, St. Anne’s In-Patient Unit, is a 19-bed facility which opened in 1995. Patients are admitted to St. Anne’s Unit when there is a need for specialist care and support in the terminal phase of their illness.
Education is an important way of extending the palliative care philosophy and approach to other healthcare settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes. An Education department was formed in 1997 in order to develop courses and workshops for staff of other health care institutions, as well as staff of the hospice.
In 1999, the Hospice purchased the adjoining Walmer Villa. This was restored and became Walmer Outpatient Clinic, offering a range of services to patients living at home. Further expansion took place in 2002, when a new phase of building was completed, housing a new Hospice Day Care, Bereavement Counselling facility and a Centre for Continuing Studies.
The need for a Hospice to be provided for the people of Dublin North West was agreed a number of years ago. Blanchardstown was identified as an ideal location from which to serve the needs of Dublin North West and the Government allocated a 6.8 acre site on the Abbotstown lands for the building of the Hospice. The construction works were completed in April 2011.
The Community Palliative Care Team is already based in the Hospice in Blanchardstown and providing services to patients in their homes in the Dublin North West area. The facilities within the Blanchardstown Hospice include an In-Patient Unit, comprising 24 single patient rooms, all en-suites, and some family overnight accommodation. St Francis Hospice has made a submission to the H.S.E. for funding to open In-Patient beds in Year 2012 and we continue to work in partnership with the H.S.E. to progress in this matter. The provision of Hospice Day Care and Out-Patient services commenced in the Hospice in Blanchardstown for two days a week in October 2011.
St. Francis Hospice receives a yearly revenue allocation from the Health Service Executive, but this has been reduced significantly on a yearly basis over the past three years, including Year 2012. This has left the Hospice in a very difficult financial situation and we are very much dependent on the goodwill of the community to support us.
We are pleased to have this opportunity to thank all our supporters within the Dublin North area and I would ask them to keep up their wonderful work for the Hospice. To end on a positive note, I can say that together, St. Francis Hospice Raheny and Blanchardstown, will provide greatly enhanced specialist palliative care services to the people in all areas of North Dublin.
Website – www.sfh.ie
Sr. Patricia
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