St Mungo's and Marie Curie offer end of life care to homeless
13 March 2009
Marie Curie Cancer Care and London's largest homelessness charity St Mungo's today launched the UK's first joint palliative care service for homeless people with terminal illnesses.
The service aims to support the needs of any of St Mungo's 1,400 residents who have a terminal illness, as well as providing bereavement support and training to other residents and staff.
Left to right: Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Marie Curie Cancer Care's Chief Executive, talks with Charles Fraser, Chief Executive of St Mungo's, at the launch event
Around 30 men and women die each year while resident in one of St Mungo's hostels or supported housing projects. The average age of these people is around 40. This compares to an overall life expectancy in England of late 70s for men and early 80s for women.
Cardiac disease, liver failure, cancer and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia are among the main reported causes of death. Hostel staff and fellow residents may also have to cope with the suicide of residents or those who die from natural causes.
The St Mungo's Palliative Care Service, launched today at the Cedars Road hostel in Clapham, has been set up as a pilot project initially for three years, through a Department of Health fund for healthcare innovations in the third sector. The longer term aim would be for the St Mungo's Palliative Care Service to develop a model of care which could be transferred to other UK cities.
Left to right: Wendy Greenish, Project Manager - Development and Care Research at Marie Curie Cancer Care, with Peter Kennedy, St Mungo's Palliative Care Co-ordinator and Angela Manners, St Mungo's Group Manager - Health
Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Marie Curie Cancer Care's Chief Executive, said: "The project will involve Marie Curie Cancer Care providing project management expertise, support and advice, and the Marie Curie Nursing Service providing some of the nursing care that will be required."
Charles Fraser, St Mungo's Chief Executive, said: "This new service is going to make a significant difference to individual residents approaching the end of their life. We also want it to become a model for the future of such care for homeless people.
"We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care to reach people in marginalised groups. As well as providing more effective support and training, we want to identify gaps which make it difficult for homeless people to get the healthcare they need."
ENDS
Contact:
Judith Higgin, Media and Campaigns Manager, St Mungo's, 020 8762 5645, judith.higgin@mungos.org
Michelle Lauder, Senior Public Relations Executive, Marie Curie Cancer Care, 020 7599 7712, michelle.lauder@mariecurie.org.uk
Notes to editor:
- St Mungo's provides emergency help and runs over 100 projects across London that house and support homeless people's recovery and prevent rough sleeping. Every year St Mungo's helps thousands of people to make permanent life changes. This year St Mungo's celebrates its 40th anniversary. See http://www.mungos.org/
- Marie Curie Cancer Care is best known for its network of Marie Curie Nurses working in the community to provide free end-of-life care for patients in their own homes. The charity expects to provide care to around 27,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its hospices this year. For more information visit: http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/
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