We all experience pain but what what is it? Join St John's Hospice Medical Director Dr Alison Bacon and Clinical Nurse Specialist Lauren Glackin as we discuss and examine perceptions and the myths of pain and managing pain in palliative care.

Questions? Please email [email protected]

Do you need to make a Will? The short answer is yes! Many of us have questions and maybe some worries about the realities of making a Will. We talk to Liz, the Wills and Legacies Relationship Manager at St John's Hospice about why a Will is important as well as the common questions many have. 

Questions? Please email [email protected]

Looking after someone at home when they are reaching the end of their life can be daunting task, especially if you have no experience in care. Emma, head of St John’s Hospice Inpatient Ward and Dawn, one of our Senior Health Care Assistants in our Community Team talk us through some of the things we can all manage to improve the quality of life of a loved one in our care at home.

Questions? Please email [email protected]

Children are not immune to the effects of loss – and even feel it’s affects more acutely but how they grieve if often different. Advanced Nurse Practitioner Heather Wiseman and Forget Me Not Centre Engagement Officer Rachael Makinson discuss the reality of helping children and young people tackle grief. Questions? Please email [email protected] 

The experiences of grief and bereavement can be very different from person to person, family to family. Charlotte Blakey Bereavement Lead Nurse on the St John's Hospice Inpatient Ward talks us through both, discusses the differences and how we can work to overcome them.

Questions? Please email [email protected]

What do you say to someone who has been given a life shortening diagnosis or is going through a bereavement? These are some of life’s hardest conversations. Dr Simon Edgecombe, Medical Director at St John’s Hospice talks us through how we can approach talking and helping someone in these situations. 

Questions? Please email [email protected]

Talking with Annie and Josie, from the St John’s Hospice Community Team we talk about poo and bust some myths around what is sometimes an avoided but essential topic in palliative care – bowel care. 

Ensuring that patients receive the right care is essential but it is also important that a patient’s family is also supported, especially when they are contributing to the care of a loved one. This is where the Palliative Care Respite Service can be of enormous benefit. 

Dee Riley and Louise Dixon talk about what Respite Care is and the huge positive impact that it can have on a patient and their family.

Questions: [email protected] 

As more people are choosing to die at home rather than in a hospital or hospice ward we discuss what makes for a good death at home. Bringing their years of experience to the discussion are Anne Haygarth, Head of Hospice at Home and Josie Candlin, Head of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Service at St John's Hospice.

This episode also gives a great introduction to both Hospice at Home and Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Questions and feedback welcome: [email protected]

Sophy is joined by Maddy Bass Director of Nursing and Quality at St John's Hospice to discuss the art of difficult conversations.

Maddy takes us through the SPIKES method - a highly useful tool those working in care can use to make difficult conversations both more manageable and successful.

If you have questions following this podcast, please contact St John's Hospice via [email protected]