FAQ’s
You may have questions about the range of care we provide or how to access our services. Here are some questions that we are often asked by patients and their families.
from patients, family members and carers
Who do you provide services to?
Longfield Services are available to adults registered with a GP in Gloucestershire who are diagnosed with a life-limiting condition such as, but not limited to Parkinson’s, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, Heart Disease, COPD, early–mid stage Dementia and Organ Failure.
Our Services are also available for the family, loved ones/ carers of individuals diagnosed with a life-limiting illness or those who may be bereaved from losing someone who had a life-limiting illness.
Are your services delivered by qualified staff?
All our day services are supported by a mix of qualified staff, registered nurses, healthcare assistants and volunteers.
Hospice at Home is supported by registered nurses and healthcare assistants, and within the Hospice at Home team there are three clinical co-ordinators who are registered nurses.
All staff have induction and role specific training, ongoing supervision and receive personal development.
When can you be referred for services?
From point of diagnosis, onwards and into bereavement
Who can make a referral?
For our Wellbeing Centre, Counselling and Bereavement Support we accept self referrals, referrals from the family, loved ones/ carers of someone diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and from all healthcare and social care professionals. Note that if you are making a referral on someone’s behalf, you must have their consent to do so.
All referrals for Hospice at Home need to be made by a Healthcare Professional, such as a district nurse, GP, consultant or clinical nurse specialist. To view our referral criteria, please visit our referral criteria page here.
How to make a referral
We take referrals for our Wellbeing Centre, Counselling and Bereavement Support by phone, email, mail or by filling out an online referral form. If you are making a referral by email or mail, please download and fill out our referral form and attach it to the email. If you would like to discuss anything prior to referral, please reach out to us by phone or email.
All referrals for Hospice at Home need to be made by a Healthcare Professional, such as a district nurse, GP, consultant or clinical nurse specialist by phone.
Phone: 01453 733706
Email: [email protected]
Wellbeing Online Referral Form (Click here)
Counselling Online Referral Form (Click here)
Bereavement Support Online Referral Form (Click here)
Can I access any services without or as I wait for a referral?
Yes! Although limited, you can access any of our (drop-in) services if you are an adult registered with a GP in Gloucestershire diagnosed with a life-limiting condition or you are a family member, loved one/carer or recently bereaving a loss from a life-limiting condition.
Who do you help?
We are here to support adults living with life-limiting illnesses, their families, loved ones/carers and the recently bereaved, by offering a range of locally based free services, to help them achieve a better quality of life whilst living with their illness.
Can my family get support from Longfield?
Yes, we have a number of different services available for family, loved ones/carers to utilise from complementary therapies to counselling and bereavement support.
How Can I get help?
Our referral criteria exist to help ensure we can understand your needs and preferences, and support you appropriately. For most of our services, we welcome self-referral (if you are needing support for a friend or family member, you will need their consent).
What if I need support out of hours?
Day services in Minchinhampton operate from 9:00am-5:00pm Monday – Friday. For Hospice at Home please contact the patient’s district nurse.
I am having difficulty getting to Longfield, how can I get there?
We have a team of volunteer drivers who we can arrange to collect you if you are not well enough or have difficulty driving.
If a family member brings you to an appointment we have a comfortable area for them to wait.
What support can you provide after someone dies?
We have a bereavement service that is available for people who need support following the death of a family member or friend as a result of a life-limiting illness or other natural causes.
From Healthcare Professionals
Do you charge for your services?
We do not charge for our services. All of our services are free of charge.
How do I cancel care for a Hospice at Home patient?
Please call our Hospice at Home team on 01453 733704. Our on-call service runs from 5:00pm – 10:30pm Monday to Friday and Weekends 7:30am – 10:30pm. Please leave a message and a member of the team will return your call.
Do I need to notify you if a patient dies?
Yes, please notify us if a patient who has received hospice services dies. We can then follow up through our bereavement services. It also allows us to cancel any visit or booking that we may have made.
What happens if I need hospice at home care for a patient out of hours?
For hospice at home in the evening, at weekends and during the bank holidays please contact the team through the usual number.
Do you provide equipment?
We have a range of adapted equipment, such as hoists and wheelchairs for patients to use during their visit. For community hospice at home patients, equipment such as syringe drivers, hoists and sliding sheets are provided by the district nursing service.
Do I need continuing health care funding in place before I refer to your hospice at home service?
Hospice at Home care can start before funding is in place, however we do request that CHC funding is applied for whenever possible. As a charity, we rely on this to contribute towards the cost of providing this service.