Vital end-of-life equipment for the home setting
1
The Pitch
Problem statement
We are looking for support to purchase vital end-of-life equipment for the home setting and so support the Paul Sartori Equipment Loan Service in Pembrokeshire. The problem is many of our events have been cancelled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to raise much needed funds and social distancing means that we have to limit the number of people in our charity shops. Items of specialised equipment are also supported through grants, however due to the pandemic, these are harder to secure as all charities face the same situation.
Solution
The aim of this project is to secure funding to allow us to purchase new equipment and offer an increase in the comfort and wellbeing for our end-of-life patients who are cared for at home. Depending on the amount of funding secured, depends on what we can purchase, it could include: specialised mattresses, commodes, bed frames, riser recliner chairs, wheel chairs, etc. During 2020/2021, 1,160 items of equipment were delivered to patients in our community – theses requests were often urgent - equipment was delivered the same day either to prevent admission or to accelerate discharge from hospital.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
The Paul Sartori Equipment Loan Service is free, and although supplementing the statutory provision in Pembrokeshire, is the only supplier of some items. The charity has a comprehensive range of specialist equipment including larger (profiling beds, pressure relieving mattresses, wheelchairs, etc) and smaller items (commodes, pressure relieving cushions, etc). The Team are very knowledgeable on all items supplied via the service and the team consist of 2 experienced Nursing Assistants, who are not only able to deliver the equipment, but they are also able to transfer patients as required.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Knee pillows x6 (to offer greater support to patients) | £119 |
| Video monitors x10 (to enable the nursing team to monitor patients and to minimise disruption) | £1,085 |
| Fiddle muffs x6 (to provide dementia patients with a tool to help with stress and to decrease anxiety) | £150 |
| Mattress infills x6 (to extend profiling beds for patients who need it) | £288 |
| Cupboards for our equipment store x2 (to provide adequate storage for equipment items and hardware) | £1,010 |
| Additional items: pending | £113 |
Beneficiaries
100 people
Expected impact
Support of this project will allow the Team to continue to offer the best possible care in the community; to support end-of-life patients, their families and carers. Equipment can: relieve pressure; increase comfort; improve dignity; can help with pain relief and increase the wellbeing for the patient and help the family and carer. As well as ensuring patients can remain home with their family.“I cannot praise Paul Sartori Foundation enough. They cared for my husband with care and professionalism. They were always only a phone call away, with help or to supply any aids required. Cancer can and does affect so many people and their families, and for all your help and support I can only say from me and my family a massive “thank you.”(All equipment is reused until the point where it is too worn to be reused again and is replaced on a regular basis, or the purchase of new equipment offers superior quality and benefits to our patients)