The inspiration behind Hope House was a baby who's life was limited by a rare medical disorder. Our service is dedicated to the needs of life limited children (0-19 years) & their families, & became operational in October 1995. It joins a growing number of hospices designed specifically to meet the needs of life limited children & has been strategically located to serve a large, mainly rural population in the counties of Cheshire, Powys, Shropshire, Clwyd & Gwynedd.
Hope House is located in Morda village just 1.5 miles from Oswestry Town Centre. We are confident that the tranquil, rural setting will enhance the aims of our service which are outlined on this page. The shops, market, churches, pubs, park & other facilities of Oswestry are close by.
Hope house provides a caring service for families who have a child with a life limiting condition & not therefore expected to reach adult years.
Hope House offers a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year professional caring service. However, over Christmas & New Year planned respite is not offered as this is a family time. In the event of an emergency or a child needing terminal care the Care Manager will be pleased to consider admission. The building is equipped & furnished to a safe standard & yet is homely & relaxed, offering the families respite with each other or from each other. The facilities are as such that the family may choose options to suit their individual needs, after all a break from caring is not a rest at all unless the parents feel comfortable about arrangements we can offer:-
We are challenged by the wide age range of visitors who will be using hope House & therefore have given a great deal of thought to providing appropriate space for varied recreation in & out of the building.
Our aim is not only to care for the child but also to give support to the family as a whole.
We will help families who need a break from some of the pressures of constantly caring for their life limited child by providing respite care. This may be for as little as a weekend or up to 14 days for any one visit.
The circumstances of families with a life limited child often change from week to week, therefore access to our service cannot always be planned in advance. We need to respond to a family's sudden need speedily, sensitively & offer hospitality which will be geared to their particular needs.
We anticipate some children will stay with us towards the end of their lives when we will offer the love & support which they & their families need
We willingly accept the continuing work of support for bereaved families for as long is considered appropriate.
Hope House is a registered charity & makes no charge to families. Children from any race or creed are welcome & may be referred directly by a family member, G.P., Community Nurse, Paediatrician, Hospital Nurse, Physiotherapist, Social worker or Occupational Therapist. We do, however, request that the the consent of the family/young person is sought prior to the referral being made, & in most cases it would be expected that the referral would be made known to the General Practitioner/Paediatrician by the person making the referral, we will then write to the General Practitioner/Hospital Consultant for supporting medical information. If, based upon this information, we can offer our service, then the needs of the family will be assessed by an informal visit to Hope House.
If we feel that Hope House can provide a suitable environment for the child a day visit or a short residential stay is arranged. This gives the family the opportunity to see wether the hospice meets their requirements.
Throughout this visit the parents will be invited to show us how they wish their child to be cared for & to be as closely involved in the caring process as they wish, Care Team members are available at all times to provide as much (or as little) help as parents wish.
By the end of this process of familiarisation & confidence building both the Care Team member & parents will be able to plan how respite care at Hope House can effectively contribute to the agreed needs & well-being of the family.
The Care Team Includes:-
Because hope House provides specialist care to a clearly defined & relatively small group there is time to devote to the children which allows a more informal atmosphere.
Our Medical Officer in conjunction with his partners in a local G.P. practice provide 24 hour medical cover & work in conjunction with the child's own doctors. Visitors to Hope House will be registered as temporary residents throughout their stay & will bring all their current medications from home.
Hope House offers support & practical help to families who have the emotional & physical strain of caring for children who due to their condition, will not survive to adulthood.
This does not make Hope House an unhappy place, but rather a place of fun & friendship. We aim to make it a haven to all who come to stay.
Click here to E-mail Nigel Martin on
101351.1674@compuserve.com.