Our bLogs

A visit to Katharine House Hospice

We have just spent a very interesting morning visiting the Katharine House Hospice in Banbury with the Banbury & District Chamber of Commerce.

As well as being a useful networking event, we were also given a tour of Katharine House and were amazed by the size of the premises and the range of facilities on offer to patients and their families/carers.

There is a day hospice which is available to anyone over the age of 18 who is facing a life-limiting illness.  This can give carers and family the chance to have a day out knowing that their loved one is in good hands.  People will have the chance to talk to professionals for support and advice – this could be talking to the Chaplain about their faith, seeking support from a Social Worker or taking part in art classes or music therapy sessions.

You can also stay as an inpatient for help in managing difficult symptoms, for a respite stay or for support at the end of your life. The hospice does have a “home from home” feel with carpets, fresh flowers, paintings on the walls, very little signage and non uniformed staff.   Even pets are welcome to visit.

We were surprised to learn that Katharine House looks after almost 300 people at any one time and most people are visited in their own homes as they don’t need to visit the hospice.  All of the services offered by the Hospice are free and only a third of the funding comes from the Government with local people, businesses and trusts contributing the rest.

Even though we visited on a damp January morning, we could appreciate the lovely surroundings and gardens at Katharine House.  The staff were all very friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable and the whole place had an aura of peacefulness and compassion.

We came away feeling fortunate to have such a wonderful residence near to Banbury and we will definitely be supporting Katharine House in any future fundraising we undertake at Stackers Training.

For more information visit www.khh.org.uk