Wellbeing support offered to terminally-ill Guernsey islanders

A hospice has offered wellbeing support to islanders living with terminal illnesses.

Les Bourgs Hospice in Guernsey has started a free 12-week rolling programme open to anyone aged 18 or over who has a life-limiting or serious progressive illness.

Eloise Tanguy, service lead, said: “There was a recognised need for a sort of support service for people who have a life-limiting or long-term illness to give them support… advice and really create a safe environment for them to be involved in.”

The wellbeing sessions are being held on Thursdays at the Wellbeing Centre at Andrew Mitchell House.

Ms Tanguy said the scheme allowed people to “have that space and they can connect and unload”.

She said: “It also gives caregivers and family members a break, they don’t have to worry that they are being taken care of.

“We’re seeing the impact on the people we’re having, but we would just love to get more people in because we know how much of a positive impact it can have on people.”

Service user Len Lawson-Domaille, who has been attending the sessions for about four weeks, said the nurses at the hospice were “absolutely wonderful people”.

“I enjoy the mixing with people, we’re all the same, we’ve all got problems and we love to talk to each other and we like to talk with the nurses.”