Strathcarron Hospice has launched its new Live Your Life team and support line.

Anyone living with, or caring for someone, with a life limiting illness across Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, can now speak directly to the Live your Life Team at Strathcarron Hospice, without requiring a professional referral.

These experienced Strathcarron Hospice nurses, creative arts facilitators, complementary therapists and community-based connectors and volunteers offer practical, clinical and emotional support and advice. The support line is available Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm by phone: 01324 827383, or email: fv.scliveyourlife@nhs.scot

Strathcarron’s new Live Your Life Hospice Care model is set to increase access to all aspects of Hospice Care, with the aim to reach people significantly earlier in their illness. At any point, the Live Your Live team can also refer people on to any member of the wider Hospice team and explore support, either virtually, or through local groups or written resources within local communities.

According to Strathcarron, many people still associate palliative care with care in the terminal stage of a life-limiting illness (eg. cancer, lung, heart or kidney failure and neurological diseases). However, the lives of up to 80% of people with terminal illnesses (via “Palliative Care from Diagnosis to Death”) could have improved quality of life, benefiting from palliative care as early as the period of first diagnosis of their illness.

Marjory MacKay, Director of Nursing, Strathcarron Hospice said:

“When COVID-19 forced us to close down Day Care, it also presented us with an opportunity to identify the limitations of our traditional place-based Day Service model. There was a need to innovate and modify the service to be in a position to deliver support to even more people who would not normally access hospice care, including carers, where and when they need it.

If you are living with, or caring for someone with a life limiting illness, we start with a good conversation to explore what’s important to you. Together, we will help navigate through challenges to find ways for you to get on with living your life. You can shape this support, tapping in and out, as and when you need us. This support may also help you to think ahead and plan your wishes for end of life care”.

For further information, please visit the Strathcarron Hospice website, or the dedicated Live Your Life page.