A new nursing role at Lancashire’s children’s hospice will help young people with life-limiting conditions get the support they need in adult life.
Derian House Children’s Hospice care for children and young people from birth to the age of 26, but advancements in medicine and technology have meant that some young adults are living longer than ever before.
Nurse, Lee Graham, has joined the hospice transition team in supporting young people to adult care services, helping them to access the support they need.
Lee joins transition worker Shelly Baron on the project which has been running in partnership with charity LifeNoW for three years.
Together they will support more than 20 young people at Derian House, helping them to reach out to friends in the outside world and ensuring they have links with other support agencies in their local community
Lee said: “I’ve only been in the role for a month but I already feel like I’m making a difference.
“I make sure our young people have support outside of Derian House once they turn 26, which is vital for their future and wellbeing.
“I support the young people with the clinical aspects of their care– I liaise with adult hospices, I ensure that our young people have care plans in place, and I make sure their and their families’ wishes are met.
“I’ve had a lot of support from the team, there are some incredible nurses here.”
Lynn Grayson, Director of Clinical Services at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “When a young adult reaches their 26th birthday, they are no longer able to access services at Derian House, which makes it crucial that they are given the support they need in their transition to adult services.
“We are seeing more and more young adults facing this situation and the new roles, in partnership with LifeNoW, will work to prevent them finding themselves isolated both socially and clinically.”
LifeNoW funds places for support workers in hospices to specifically focus on the care of young adults, enabling them to live life on their terms, and navigate the healthcare system in a way which facilitates the most appropriate delivery of care.
With the addition of Lee and Shelly, LifeNoW has achieved its target of appointing two workers by 2021. The charity hopes to recruit eight workers by 2025.
You can find out more about LifeNoW here.
