Help local families stay together this Christmas

The need for end of life care is growing and Dorothy House is launching a special Christmas Appeal to make it possible for more families to be together at home during their loved one’s final days.

Dorothy House is reaching out to local communities to ask for fundraising support to make sure that no one is forced to spend Christmas in hospital, away from their family, especially when it may be their last Christmas.

National research shows that 72% of people would prefer to die at home, surrounded by their family and home comforts, and Dorothy House makes this possible with their team of nurses, carers and community services. All their services are free of charge to anyone with a life-limiting illness or who is needing palliative care in Bath & North East Somerset, and parts of Somerset and Wiltshire.

Last year it cost in excess of £5m to provide patients and families with the services and support they needed to stay at home, and the cost for delivering these services is expected to be even higher over the coming year as demand for care increases, post-pandemic. Dorothy House needs more support than ever, especially at Christmastime, when more patients want to be at home with those they love.

Margaret Merritt, whose husband Vic recently received Dorothy House care at home, shared how much it meant to them: “Dorothy House care makes it possible for families to be together, at home, to the very end. My husband spent his final months and days in the comfort of his own home with his family around him. I can’t ever thank Dorothy House enough for that.”

Through their Christmas Appeal, Dorothy House is aiming to make it possible for many more families to be together at home this Christmas, making precious memories with the help of their round-the-clock care. People can support this appeal by giving anything they can spare - a gift of £42 for example, can help Dorothy House provide two hours of support from an overnight carer in a patient’s home, allowing family members to rest in the knowledge that their loved one is in safe hands.

With the shops full of baubles and throwaway gifts, Dorothy House is asking the local people of Bath&NES to give the gift of dignity, independence and the comfort of home to those who need it most this Christmas.

To give to this appeal, visit dorothyhouse.org.uk today.