Help fund the basic equipment that helps nurses keep patients at home

Rennie Grove Hospice Care provides 24/7 care in patients’ homes, aiming to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and enabling patients to spend their final days at home.

Basic nursing equipment such as stethoscopes, ear thermometers and blood glucose monitors are a crucial part of the care offered.

Hospice at Home nurse Suzanne Fitzpatrick said: “Using basic nursing equipment, our nurses need to make detailed and frequent health assessments to ensure patients have the best possible quality of life.

“Managing a patient’s symptoms as soon as they occur can mean the difference between staying at home and being admitted to hospital.”

A simple blood glucose monitor could be a life-saver, especially for patients taking high-dose steroid medication who are at greater risk of raised blood sugar levels.

Detected early, this can be easily resolved, but without intervention it could result in dehydration organ damage, and could even prove fatal.

Another simple but crucial tool is a stethoscope.

Suzanne said: “Our nurses use stethoscopes regularly, not just to check a patient’s heart and lung function but also to monitor bowels for signs of obstruction.

“Using the stethoscope regularly in this way can help prevent a medical emergency.”

The charity, which has to fundraise about 85 per cent of its annual £6.7 million running costs, is asking people to make a donation towards these basic pieces of equipment. See www.renniegrove.org/equip or call 01442 890222.