Where Will your Donations Go?
Unfortunately, the IHF receive less than 10% of their funding from the government. Therefore, they require our help. The money that we raise during this elective will fund a vital service called “Nurses for Night Care.”
Nurses for Night Care enables people with diseases like dementia, motor neurone disease, advanced respiratory disease, heart failure and end stage kidney disease to receive expert care and support at night in their own homes in their final days.
Many people cannot choose where they would like to die, but those who can usually wish to spend their final days in the comfort of their own home, while being surrounded and supported by their loved ones.
Family members also wish to spend as much time with their loved ones but do require some assistance. Although they may not want to leave their bedsides, rest is essential during this difficult and anxious time so it is important for family members to be able to step away and clear their heads. This is why the Nurses for Night Care service is so important. Nurses provide relief for family members by allowing them to sleep at night knowing that their loved ones are in good care.
> €40 pays for an hour of Night Care Nursing in the home.
> €320 pays for a night of nursing in the home.
This is a similar service to Night Nursing provided by the Irish Cancer Society, who provide end of life care for cancer patients and their families in their own home. This is a support service that I am very familiar with as my family availed of this crucial service just over a year ago when caring for my grandmother during her final week. The nurse provided significant support and relief and made certain that my grandmother was never suffering and was always as comfortable as possible. We are forever grateful for not only the compassionate and kind-hearted nurse who cared for my grandmother over 7 difficult nights, but for the generous donations from the public who fund this vital service every year on Daffodil Day.
In 2016, the public’s generosity allowed 600 people to die at home through the Irish Hospice Foundations Nurses for Night Care service. This means a great deal to the families who are suffering by making this already difficult time a whole lot easier.
So, no matter how big or small, every donation helps.
“You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.”
- Emer Riordan, 20/02/2020