As a contribution to the Trust’s End of Life Care Strategy, seven End of Life Companions have now finished their training and are preparing to start on certain wards.

Here our chaplain George Spencer explains this amazing, new role as we strive to provide the very best compassionate care.

"The Companion’s role is to simply sit with those at the end of their lives and be with them especially those who have few - or no - family and friends. It is about sharing humanity in a compassionate and tactful way, seeking to simply offer support by being alongside the person who is dying.

"The training has included aspects of grief, attitudes to death and person-centred care, as well as looking at more practical elements of being with a person who is dying, and learning when to call for help. Andrea Vickerman, End of Life Care Trainer, and Gillian Sykes, End of Life Strategy Facilitator, and Simon Habergham, Zeenat Hussain and George Spencer, chaplains, have led the training, which has drawn very much from the life experiences of participants.

“Our companions come from all sorts of backgrounds, some are chaplaincy volunteers, one was a nurse, two are training for the wider, ‘doulah’ role. The common thing is they are willing to try and offer support to a dying person. It’s not about imposing ideas or views on them, or being a substitute for the nursing role. It’s just being with. Our Companions now feel ready, if a little apprehensive.

It is expected that the commencement of supporting a patient with the Individualised Care of the Dying Documentation may trigger a request for a Companion, and consent will need to be given – or presumed, using principles of best interest. Once engaged, the Companion will be introduced to the patient and their named nurse and after an initial visit, will negotiate a regime of visiting in conjunction with ward staff and the supervising chaplain. Support will be provided both during and after the episode, chiefly by Simon Habergham, our ‘secular’ chaplain, who has skills and qualifications in counselling and clinical support.

The wards which are piloting the Companionship are Ward 5 (HRI) and Ward 5C (CRH) and plans are being made to start the scheme in November.

Meanwhile, we are beginning to think about recruiting another batch of volunteers to become Companions. If anyone is interested in this way of volunteering, please contact George Spencer, co-ordinating chaplain on (34) 2092 or via email for further information.

**Our photograph shows Companions and trainers at the end of the final training session proudly wearing their purple ‘Companion’ lanyards.