Hospice House
34-44 Britannia Street
London
WC1X 9JG

Tel: 020 7520 8222
Web: www.helpthehospices.org.uk/hospiceinformation

Hospice care helps people live well before they die. The care is tailored to patients' individual needs and supports their friends and family too. Care is free of charge to patients and is there to relieve their pain and suffering.

Hospice care happens where you are and for however long you need it - from your diagnosis to the last few days of life. The majority of hospice care in the UK is provided by Help the Hospices member hospices - local charities rooted in the communities they serve.

Helping people live well before they die means different things for different patients. Support from a hospice could involve anything from getting help with pain control, physiotherapy, bereavement support for family to social activities or even having a massage.

Hospice care happens where you need it and for however long you need it and that could be for days, months or years. Most care is provided in people's own homes, but people also visit hospices for day therapy and stay as in-patients. Almost half of all people admitted to a hospice as an in-patient go home again. They may return to the hospice as an in-patient in future, if their symptoms mean they need more help.

Help the Hospices is the leading charity supporting hospice care throughout the UK and they represent and support local hospices.

Their work includes a wide range of training and education programmes, informative and practical resources for hospice staff, influencing government policy and support for quality care and good practice. Their fundraising programmes and campaigns help hospices to raise money in ways that would otherwise not be open to them.

To find your local hospice log on to www.helpthehospices.org.uk/findahospice or call the Hospice Information Service on 020 7520 8222.