You might have lots of questions about your illness, how you feel and what you should do next. Some of what you read here, or on other sites, will be difficult to take in and you may experience different emotions, that’s ok.
These pages may help answer your questions and point you in the direction of people or organisations that can help.
We are here to support you and those people close to you. We can guide you through your journey, providing you with the help and information you need. We will do our best to ease your fears and burdens, help you to be yourself and live every moment. Our team of specialist staff will support you in the hospice or at your home if that is where you would prefer to be.
End of life care is the specialist care given to someone when they are believed to be in the last year of their life.
It can be very difficult to know when someone is in the last year of their life and it is usually a doctor or nurse who has reason to believe a person is in their final months.
If you or your family feel this time is coming and you or a loved one may be in the last year of life please share this feeling with your GP or nurses.
You may want to know what happens now and what the plan will be for your future care, this is known as Advance Care Planning.
The Advance Care Planning process gives you a chance to process, think about and write down what is important to you. You might find it helpful to talk to other professionals, like your GP about the care options open to you.
Professionals, as well as your family or friends who support you will want to understand as much as possible about your wishes, priorities and needs.
For more information, and to download your Advance Care Planning Booklet click on the link below.
If your care is under Kettering General Hospital, telephone Lilford Ward on 01536 492834.
If your care is under Northampton General Hospital: call The Emergency Assessment Bay 01604 545851. A Registered Nurse will speak to you over the phone and their advice may help you to manage at home with appropriate medications, or you may be advised to go to the Emergency Assessment Bay in area G on Talbot Butler Ward to be reviewed by the team.
Marie Curie: 0330 123 1014
This number is manned 24/7
Call Hospice at Home: 03000 271283 or 03000 271284
Call Marie Curie Night sits: 0121 752 9305
Or for Corby and surrounding villages call Lakelands Hospice overnight nurse: 01536 747755
Call the District Nurse on: 0300 777 0002
Call Marie Curie 24/7 support line: 0800 090 2309 or email support@mariecurie.org.uk to speak with a trained member of the team
If you are affected by cancer call Northamptonshire Macmillan Cancer Support: 01604 235086 to speak to Laura or email l.richards@cencab.org.uk
For benefits advice call the Macmillan Centre:
Kettering call Danielle Mellows 01536 493888
Northampton call Wendy Smith 01604 544211
Alternatively, call Macmillan Cancer Support: 08088 080 000, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm.
The Community Law Service provides welfare benefits advice, help and support:
Rushden Office: (01933) 313020
The ladies at Cransley Hospice were amazing from the minute we entered the front door. It didn’t feel like you were in a hospice.
It meant we could go in and enjoy the time with Mum, being her kids and not her carers.
It was beautiful the way he tucked his blanket under his chin and just went to sleep. There was no pain.
