Care and support through terminal illness

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We’re here for people with any terminal illness and their families

• Someone has a terminal illness when they reach a point where their illness is likely to lead to their death.

• They may live for days, weeks, months or even years after this point.

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How we’re helping

We give people expert care, guidance and support at a time they need it most by offering:

• Marie Curie Nurses • Marie Curie Hospices • Marie Curie Helper volunteers • Information and support

services

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Marie Curie Nurses

• provide hands-on care and emotional support in people’s homes

• help people to stay in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible

• give families caring for their loved ones a break

• listen to people’s concerns and talk through their anxieties

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Elizabeth, a Marie Curie Nurse, explains her role…

Elizabeth said: “I love being able to give one-to-one attention to patients overnight. It can be a difficult job, but the satisfaction you get from letting someone die peacefully and with dignity makes it all worthwhile.

“To be with someone who is dying is such an extraordinary experience, an exclusive time for a family. As a Marie Curie Nurse, you are a privileged guest. You are there to offer help but you mustn’t rule the roost.

“It is such a huge difference caring for someone in their own home rather than in a hospital environment. That’s why I love being a Marie Curie Nurse. To go into patients’ homes and help them and their families is a huge privilege.”

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“Mum passed away in my arms with all her family around her.”

Caroline’s mother was cared for by Marie Curie Nurses. “When someone you love has a terminal illness, you’re scared and don’t know what will happen. They gave us that bit of medical reassurance.

My stepfather has dementia, so the nurses chatted to him and looked after him as well. They also reassured me and my aunt. They looked after all of us.”

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Marie Curie Hospices

Specialist round-the-clock care and support in a friendly, welcoming environment

• People can stay at the hospice or just come in for the day.

• Our doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, chaplains and counsellors work together to help people achieve the best possible quality of life.

• We provide expert care, and practical and emotional support to meet people’s needs.

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“Mum was so happy that we could bring her cat to the hospice”Susan’s mother Shirlie was cared for at Marie Curie Hospice, Belfast.“There was a great staff-to-patient ratio; she had a named nurse; and the food was excellent. Best of all it was a quiet, happy and calm place.

She frequently said: ‘How was I lucky enough to get in here?’ The atmosphere was so positive and friendly and it felt like a home not a hospital.”

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Information and support for everyone

• Marie Curie Support Line • Marie Curie’s website and leaflets:

mariecurie.org.uk/help• Marie Curie Community:

community.mariecurie.org.uk

“This was all completely new territory. What would have been like gold dust would have been a single place to get help, when you’re really in the depths of that urgent need.” Peter, whose wife died six months after being diagnosed with a brain tumour

 

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Marie Curie Helper volunteers

Companionship and practical support from friendly, caring Marie Curie Helper volunteers

Our trained volunteers:• visit people regularly in their

homes for a few hours each week• offer companionship and a friendly

ear• provide practical support such as

help to get to an appointment or go shopping

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Marie Curie Helper volunteers

Nasir is getting support from his Helper volunteer Habib“My wife is my main carer. Having Habib to help me gives my wife a break and it means she can also go to Friday prayers.

It’s very nice to have Habib as a Helper volunteer. It’s extra company and he’s like a son to me.”

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Our work on policy and research

• Campaigning for better care and support for people affected by a terminal illness

• Leading research into better ways of caring for people living with a terminal illness.

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The challenges we are facing now

There’s growing demand for care and support services as:

• more people are living longer

• many are living with one or more illnesses

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The challenges we are facing now

People’s needs for care, support and information are still not currently being met or recognised.

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We want to do much more to help more people, now and in the future

• Increase the number of people we care for at home and in our hospices

• Expand our Helper volunteer service • Increase our support for bereaved

people• Doubling our investment in research 

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Our supporters keep us going

We can’t do all that we do every day, all over the UK, without our supporters – people who do all kinds of things to help us in many different ways.

Like taking part in one of our fundraising events and organising a tea party. By running, swimming, cycling and trekking for us. By volunteering. And much more!

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How your support can help us

The care and support we provide are all always free of charge to the people we help.

Every hour of every day, we need to raise £10,000 to carry on our work.

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Christine’s storyYour support will help people like Christine, who was able to care for her dad, Granville, at home, with support from Marie Curie Nurses. She said: “Dad was a very proud man and he didn’t want strangers involved in his care. He didn’t want to go into a home or a hospice, he was very adamant about that.

“I was Dad’s main carer and wasn’t getting a great quality of sleep. That was when the Marie Curie Nurses came in to sit with him during the night and sometimes during the day as well to let me have a bit of a rest.

“It gave me peace of mind to know there was someone qualified with him. And he could talk to the nurses in a way he couldn’t talk to me, in case it upset me. We’re just so grateful for what they did for us.”

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How you can support us today

There are just so many ways you can help us: • Make a donation • Take part in our fundraising events• Organise your own fundraising activity• Get involved with your company, school or network• Become a volunteer • Leave a gift in your Will

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Join in one of our local events

• [Insert event one]• [Insert event two]• [Insert event three]

To volunteer, fundraise or sign up for an event, visit our website: mariecurie.org.uk/getinvolved

[Insert here photo of the event you want to promote]