Health and Social Care Organisations Invest in Local Schemes to Improve End of Life Care in Kirklees
NHS Greater Huddersfield and NHS North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG’s) alongside Kirklees Council have invested in three local schemes to help improve end of life care in Kirklees.
The Groundwork Project will provide community activities which can be adapted to the needs and wishes of people receiving end of life care and their carers. The project aims to help people to stay as well, active and connected as possible and provide tailored experiences throughout the end of life stages to enable participants to access activities of interest which they enjoy and look forward to participating in. Activities will include arts and crafts, planting and growing, walking and eco-crafts and creative media and will take place in venues across Kirklees.
The Denby Dale Centre’s “Live Life” project (a weekly group session held at the Hub in Kirkburton on Thursdays) aims to provide new community-based activities and support for terminally ill people living in Denby Dale, Kirkburton and surrounding areas and their carers, providing opportunities to socialise and have fun, and with activities such as creating a memory book or video, making a time capsule and perpetual calendar. The purpose of the project is to help people in end of life situations to feel happier and feel less lonely and isolated by being more connected with others.
The Hoot Creative Arts Connected Voices project will offer drop-in harmony singing group sessions in Kirklees. The group will be supported by Hoot’s Singing Ambassadors – volunteer singers who have been trained in supporting and promoting harmony singing. The aim of this project is to provide an uplifting, high quality creative experience that promotes physical, emotional and spiritual well-being for people at the end of life and their families and friends, staff, volunteers and the wider public.
As part of its healthcare planning in 2015-16, the CCG invited voluntary and community organisations to submit ideas on how they could support the CCG in improving the health and wellbeing of the local population. These are some of the schemes that have been selected.
Dr Shanza Bilal, local GP and clinical lead for palliative care for NHS North Kirklees CCG said: “We’ve been delighted in the volume of responses to the call for ideas, which demonstrates the passion and expertise that voluntary and community organisations can bring to improving end of life care across Kirklees.”
All projects have been developed in collaboration with the CCGs, other End of Life project providers, Kirkwood Hospice and Kirklees Council.
Michael Crowther, Chief Executive at Kirkwood Hospice said: “We were delighted to be part of the commissioning board on this project and played a key role in deciding where the funding should be spent.
“Kirkwood Hospice is now looking forward to working alongside the successful projects. We are confident that they will all play a key role in helping to support people across our community with end of life care needs.”
Cllr Jean Calvert, Kirklees Council Cabinet Member for communities said “These projects are an excellent example of community support at its best. Helping people to carry on enjoying and living life to the full for as long as possible is something we would all want for ourselves, family and friends.”