On World Homeless Day, Rowcroft Hospice is reaffirming its commitment to improving
access to palliative and end-of-life care for homeless and vulnerably housed individuals across South Devon. Working in collaboration with local charities and organisations, Rowcroft continues to support homeless people who face unique challenges in accessing healthcare. The support extends to people who are rough sleeping and in all types of temporary accommodation, such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, and hostels.
Figures from Shelter from recent years highlight that over 3,800 individuals are homeless across Devon and Cornwall. This statistic underscores the importance of Rowcroft’s ongoing partnerships with local organisations and hostels like the Leonard Stocks Centre and others, to ensure that homeless people are treated with compassion and dignity at the end of their lives.
“Those who are homeless or vulnerably housed often endure daily struggles and face considerable trauma,” said Vicky Bartlett, Rowcroft’s Director of Patient Care. “For them, accessing healthcare – especially palliative and end-of-life care – can be incredibly difficult due to a number of barriers including a rigid healthcare system, limited understanding of what palliative care involves, and a lack of awareness about the services available. Many mistakenly believe that palliative care is only for the final days of life, and because they aren’t aware of the healthcare options available, they often experience avoidable suffering.
“Rowcroft’s vision of specialist end-of-life care for all is at the heart of our work with
homeless communities. We remain dedicated to providing high quality, inclusive, compassionate care for everyone at the end of their lives, regardless of their housing situation, background, or diagnosis.”
The hospice provides training, advice, and support to partner organisations working
directly with homeless individuals, enabling these frontline workers to have informed
conversations about care options. This collaboration ensures that individuals in the
homeless community can access Rowcroft’s specialist care when they need it, whether
that be through Rowcroft’s Community Team, Hospice at Home Team, or its Inpatient Unit in Torquay.
“Regardless of their housing situation, every person deserves to be treated with dignity
and respect at the end of life,” added Vicky. “Our team at Rowcroft is focused on
overcoming barriers to ensure that homeless individuals receive the holistic care and specialised support they need.”
As a charity, Rowcroft is playing a key role in delivering vital end-of-life care to 2,500
patients and their loved ones across South Devon each year, but the hospice is facing
increasing financial pressures – due to many factors including rising costs, a national drop in charitable giving, low and stagnating government funding and a growing demand for end-of-life care. These challenges underscore the critical need for community support and funding to ensure the continuation of important services.
To find out more about Rowcroft’s care in the community, or to donate, please go to
www.rowcrofthospice.org.uk
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