An interview with our new Hospice at Home Team Lead

• 1 October 2020

Our Hospice at Home team provide specialist hands-on care and support in people’s own homes or usual place of residence, when they are approaching the end of their life. We recently recruited Jane Carpenter to lead our dedicated Hospice at Home team. We asked Jane to tell us a bit more about her role and why she decided to join our charity:

What attracted you to work for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity?

I first knew the charity as a student nurse 13 years ago, when I came and did some training sessions with Arthur Rank Hospice and I had a week on placement. I had really good memories of that time, so when a new role came up, it caught my attention. I particularly enjoy service development and I am passionate about palliative care for under-served and disadvantaged communities, so this role looked really exciting and progressive. The opportunity for us all to make a huge difference to our community.

What is your role and what type of responsibilities does that include?

I am the Hospice at Home Team Lead for Cambridge City, Cambridge South, and Huntingdonshire – it’s an exciting opportunity to help support people in our community who are rapidly deteriorating and dying, or who are palliative and enter a phase of crisis. My role is to support and lead the team as we implement the changes and service development, and to make sure we deliver individualised care of the highest quality to the people who need it most.

What is the most rewarding element of your work?

Working with patients in crisis and being privileged enough to be able to be alongside them, help them and their families to get through the crisis and out the other side. I particularly find it rewarding, and it’s my particular passion, to support the most vulnerable and discriminated people in society get the help and support they need: to help them have a voice and their wishes be heard and respected when they are facing the end of their lives. I also really love developing junior colleagues and watching their expertise and skill in palliative care and confidence grow.

Since specialising in End of Life care, what has most surprised you about the people you meet?

How some people who might seem to have the very least, almost nothing in fact to an outside observer, can be the most generous, and kind with what little they do have. People are frankly amazing, and cope with the most difficult situations and life events with a generous spirit, grace and style . It’s always so special to be invited into someone’s home and care for them wherever they are and however they choose to live.

For more information on our Hospice at Home service, please visit our dedicated page. If you are interested in becoming part of our Hospice at Home team, please view our latest vacancies. We are currently recruiting for Healthcare Assistants.