Hospice Care Week 2025

To many, a hospice is a place they don’t want to think about because it means thinking about things that they would much rather not.

Here at the Butterfly Hospice we like to think different and change perceptions.

We have 6 beautiful, private en-suite rooms which all open onto our gardens – managed by staff and dedicated volunteers – and an incredible team of very professional and caring clinicians for those who need it: be it for respite care, symptom management or at the end of their life, but that isn’t the whole story…Hospice care is more than you think.

We also have a catering team who don’t give a menu but ask what our guests would like to eat – from fish and chips to steak and eggs, sweet treats and Polish pastries are all on offer to be enjoyed.  One request was for a Black Russian cocktail, for which we needed to send a couple of staff out to find some ingredients - but it was served!

Our Housekeepers also go above and beyond, not only meeting expectations but exceeding them. Playing a vitally important role in ensuring the Hospice meets clinical standards of cleanliness, they also add extra touches which often go unseen, such as the addition of fresh flowers around the hospice and spending time with guests in their rooms.

Our Therapy Team are also a valued resource and they provide 1-1 counselling to those in our community experiencing a life changing medical condition so they can better manage the situation they are in.  That service is also there for the families and carers– both pre and post-bereavement – to support everyone in hopefully finding a way to make the most of the time ahead - completely free of charge.

Linking therapy into our Inpatient Unit are Bran our Therapy Dog and our registered Celebrant.

Tina, our Celebrant, is able to offer a range of bespoke ceremonies to those guests who request them:  be it a ring blessing, a renewal of vows or a family commitment ceremony,  all these can take place in the rooms, in one of our therapy pods or even in the private, secluded garden space found through our willow tunnel.  All guests need to do is ask.

Bran is our therapy dog and he can often be found, when not being fussed by the staff, attending to guests and their families in their rooms, other times he can be found providing ‘Animal Assisted Therapy’ in the therapy pods with Debbie.

The hospice therapy service also runs a variety of regular support groups for those who need time in a safe space, to share and talk with others – a free of charge service with no booking needed!  These include a Bereavement group, a group for long term carers and a Walk & Talk group for those who would rather be in the fresh air under the wide Lincolnshire sky and taking a gentle stroll around Dion’s Wood nature reserve.

All of these offer a safe space where you can come together and meet with others who understand the issues faced.

Recognising adults are not the whole family we added a Family & Children’s Support group – Butterfly & Bees’ to the services we offer – the chalk on the paths is often evidence of their last meeting! – Not to mention the biodegradable water bomb remains in the garden!  This supports the family and children age 7 – 15 when a close relative is terminally ill or when the family is really struggling with grief.

This post echoes the theme of Hospice Care Week 2025 and tells of exactly how, like so many others providing care across the nation, "Hospice care is more than you think!"