Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care Launches Appeal to Keep Nurses on the Road

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care is calling on residents within Hertfordshire to donate what they can to help keep hospice nurses on the road – day and night – supporting patients and their families in their own homes when they need it most.

Overnight Hospice at Home nurse, Millesent, pictured, shares what a typical night shift looks like: ‘I often go straight from handover to my first visit. Recently, I was called to a lady whose condition had suddenly worsened. Her son, who had been caring for her, was exhausted and desperate for help. I reassured him, settled his mum, and offered him and his father a cup of tea. We sat together, and they told me about her life and their 70 years together. That moment – that laughter, that relief – is part of what we leave behind.’

Millesent adds: ‘If you are there – either towards the end or at the very end – that’s one of the last memories you are going to leave families with. Whatever you do will be imprinted with them. With this appeal we’re encouraging local people to donate today to help make sure my colleagues and I can be there for patients, no matter what time we’re needed.’

One of many patients helped by Millesent and the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice at Home team was Elaine’s husband, Clive.

Elaine recalls: ‘Clive’s last wish was to die at home, and the team made that possible. The nurses were always there – even at 3am – with care, comfort, and a calming voice. Clive loved chatting with them, especially one paramedic who would sit and talk sport. They gave him dignity and gave us, his family, peace. After he passed, they were there to guide us through every step. They were our rock. I don’t know how we would have coped without them.’

Every journey a nurse makes, every visit, every late-night call – is made possible by donations from the local community. With only 14% of the charity’s funding coming from statutory sources, the team relies on the generosity of local people to keep its services running 24/7.

• £15 could help pay a month’s tax on a Hospice at Home pool car
• £36 could cover an hour of a nurse’s time during the night
• £41 could pay for a nurse like Millesent to visit a patient and care for them in their own home

End of life care isn’t a 9-5 service. It’s about being there at 2am when pain relief is needed. Or at 5am when a family doesn’t know what to do next. There’s no public transport at that time, and even if there was, it wouldn’t be a safe, suitable or quick way to reach patients. That’s why every donation – large or small – helps keep hospice nurses on the road within Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. Most importantly, it means they can be by a patient’s side when needed the most. 

Visit the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care website to make a donation and find out more. Every donation will help to keep nurses like Millesent on the road – and ensure that more patients like Clive can achieve their wish of being cared for at home when time is limited.