PATIENT WELFARE SERVICE
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The Patient
Welfare Service has been established at the Hospice for three years now and
in that time has already developed beyond its earlier envisioned parameters.
We provide an assessment of Welfare Benefit entitlement for all patients and
their relatives or carers and assist them to make claims or challenge
decisions where appropriate. |
Patients need practical,
emotional and medical s
upport from all of our teams |
We are
also actively involved in other aspects of financial matters, such as
assisting patients with debt management and providing information regarding
forward planning in the face of the sharp drop in income which often
accompanies the diagnosis of a serious illness.
We are able to
provide basic legal advice and information on the making or changing of
Wills, employment issues and Powers of Attorney. We also have a wealth of
information available regarding applying for Probate and dealing with an
estate, and regularly assist bereaved relatives through this lengthy
process. Indeed, with the changes to a surviving spouse’s income and
entitlement to benefits to be worked through, we are often supporting
families and carers for several months after the patient’s death, and have
been told that this has been an invaluable service at a time of great
distress.
These are the
regular main-stays of our work, but we also help people to apply for
disabled parking badges, obtain information about funeral planning and have
even on occasions arranged transport for elderly relatives unable to visit
their loved-ones at the Hospice. We are here to deal with the many issues
relating to the welfare of our patients which arise on a daily basis. They
vary considerably, from providing information about help with looking after
pets, to eligibility for VAT exemption on purchases connected with
disability. The work of the Patient Welfare Service is as varied as the
people who walk through the door, and that is what makes it so interesting
and enjoyable.
Louise
Close-West
Karen Sim Davis
Patient Welfare Officers
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“From the
lovely people in Reception through to the incredible, caring staff on the
ward, we were all given wonderful support, understanding and acceptance.” |
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