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Faye and Laura are Care Home Development and End of Life Care Support Nurses. They share an insight into their working week at Treetops. [caption id="attachment_5238" align="alignnone" width="800"] Faye Thrasivoulou and Laura Slack[/caption] We provide education, training, practical support and mentorship to residential care homes across Erewash. This is a two-year project funded by The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust. Our aim is to educate care home staff to recognise when a resident’s health declines and have the knowledge and skills to best meet their needs and final wishes. Monday Our week begins with a visit to a local residential care home to deliver training on recognising dying and symptom management. This is a three-hour session which supports staff to recognise when a resident may be deteriorating and empowers them to support residents at the very end of life. The training includes how to manage symptoms without the use of medication. For example, helping a resident who is suffering with breathlessness to sit up. Or to open a window which can help them to feel more comfortable. The training also covers when to seek support. Training for care homes All our training sessions are tailored to the individual needs of each care home and each session is delivered face-to-face. We educate entire teams, from care staff and managers to domestic staff. 17 staff took part in today’s training. Real-life case studies and group activities are included in our training to make it as interactive as possible, and check understanding as learning needs amongst staff are varied. We’ve had great feedback which shows how encouraging staff to be actively involved in the learning process has helped them to gain the most out of the sessions. We encourage staff to ask questions. Making a huge difference to care homes We also offer communication skills training, mouth care training, and advance care planning sessions. The communication skills and advance care planning sessions upskill staff to listen and talk sensitively to their residents. This is vital to identify and record their final wishes in advance. The project is unique and aims to influence the delivery of end-of-life care locally and nationally through best practice. The project started in January. We’ve trained 314 staff from eleven care homes within Erewash and five outside this area. We’ve established some excellent working relationships with the care homes which has made a huge difference locally. "The training has been fantastic. It was very interactive, and Faye and Laura were very approachable and patient with all my questions. It will impact a lot on my future practice.” [button url="https://www.treetopshospice.org.uk/care/for-professionals/education-and-development/care-home-training/" template="block" class="btn-block--red"]Find out more about our Care Home Training[/button] Tuesday In addition to delivering face to face training, we also offer hands-on support to care home staff. Staff are supported to apply theory into practice. This aims to increase their confidence and practical skills, and embed to face-to-face education sessions. Practical support complements existing support already in place from GPs, district nurses and other healthcare professionals. It can help with the coordination of these services, avoiding unnecessary delays. Empowering staff We receive a referral for a resident who needs support due to a decline in their condition. We assess the urgency and make plans to visit the care home tomorrow. Residents may be living with several different conditions such as frailty, dementia, respiratory conditions, heart failure or other chronic illness. If it’s a residents wish to die in the residential home, our goal is to achieve this, avoiding crisis situations and unnecessary hospital admissions. Some residents may have lived in the care home for many years, and it is their home. We empower staff to put advance care planning skills into practice. We guide them to have discussions with a resident and make any relevant referrals to other professionals. So far, we’ve offered practical, bedside support for 27 residents. At the end of the day, we have a catch-up with our line manager. We let her know how our project is progressing and agree actions going forward. [caption id="attachment_7000" align="alignnone" width="800"] Faye and Laura with staff from Long Eaton View care home[/caption] Wednesday Today, we are shadowed by a Treetops Hospice at Home registered nurse. This is all part of her Continuing Professional Development to gain some of her competencies. We make an initial visit to the resident referred to us yesterday. We help the care home staff to complete an assessment involving the resident’s family. Effective communication We encourage staff to communicate effectively. It is important family members are informed of any changes in a relative’s condition if they wish to be involved. The care home staff are supported to make a referral for an urgent swallow assessment, as the resident has a choking risk. We encourage staff to contact us for any further support if needed and ensure they are aware of contact numbers for support out-of-hours. Thursday We visit a care home to attend their monthly palliative care register meeting. This is a meeting we encourage through our training. The register looks at all the residents within the home. The care staff are then encouraged to go through each resident individually and score them using a traffic light system. All staff within the home are encouraged to attend and can contribute any concerns they have. Where a resident’s needs are changing or deteriorating, this prompts care staff to ensure everything is in place. For example, if a resident is losing weight or has had several hospital visits, this will prompt them to organise a GP review. The palliative care register supports the care home with advance care planning and encourages staff to be proactive rather than reactive. Eleven care homes have set up these regular meetings so far as part of our project. At today’s meeting, staff highlight a resident’s condition has declined recently. This resident has decided that they don’t want to be admitted to hospital. This is communicated and documented to avoid any unplanned hospital admissions in the future. It will ensure that the resident's wishes for their preferred place of care and death is met. Sharing best practice We attend an education team meeting with professionals from other organisations within Derbyshire. We discuss any issues we might have come across in our area of practice and share ideas and best practice of how to overcome these. [button url="https://www.treetopshospice.org.uk/care/for-professionals/education-and-development/" template="block" class="btn-block--red"]Find out more about our education and training programmes[/button] Friday On Friday, we deliver a mouth care training session at a residential care home. Mouth care is often overlooked at the end of life. When people can’t eat or drink, their mouths become dry and are more likely to get an infection. Good mouth care and oral hygiene can provide comfort and avoid complications. The training covers the anatomy of the mouth, common complications – and how to manage these, and how to best support their residents. A flexible approach We recognise that not all staff are available for training at any one time. Staff move on, and new staff join their teams. We overcome these issues with a flexible approach. We fit in with care home routines and availability, often providing more than one session for staff to attend. In the afternoon, we support a district nurse with setting up a syringe driver for a resident who is experiencing pain and breathlessness in the care home. We have a close working relationship with the district nursing and frailty service which enhances care. Symptoms are managed in the community avoiding an unnecessary hospital admission. Later in the day we attend an online end-of-life medicines working group. This is made up of community professionals such as consultants, specialist nurses, and senior pharmacists. We discuss any current issues with medication, review guidance, and plan how to overcome any issues. It keeps us up-to-date with information that we can then share with care homes. We feel privileged to have a role which makes such a difference. We’re continuously learning and developing ourselves and enjoy passing our knowledge and skills on to others for them to be able to make a difference. [button url="https://www.treetopshospice.org.uk/care/for-professionals/education-and-development/" template="block" class="btn-block--red"]Read more about our education, training and development opportunities[/button]

Hits Radio East Midlands stars Jo and Sparky will be joining hundreds of walkers taking part in Derby’s biggest charity night walk on Friday 6 September.

Jo Musson, our Relationships Manager for Legacy and In Memory, shares information and guidance on Wills to support national Make a Will Month. Why do I need to make a Will? Writing a Will (or Last Will and Testament) is really important, as it ensures that your wishes will be carried out after your death. Your Will is a legal document that allows you to decide what happens to your property, money, possessions and investments (known as your estate) when you die. Making a Will takes away some of the stress and legal expense from those left behind. Quite simply, it’s the best way of looking after your family in the future and can give you great peace of mind. Can I write my own Will or do I need a solicitor? You can write your own Will in the UK, but you should get professional advice if your Will is not straightforward. Your Will needs to be formally witnessed and signed to make it legally valid. You can find advice on the Government website. It can be a good idea to consult a solicitor as they will often think of scenarios and circumstances that haven’t occurred to you. They can also advise you about possible tax implications arising from your estate, ensuring that your loved ones are not liable for more Inheritance Tax than necessary. If you have any questions about making a Will, Treetops holds Wills Clinics where you can book a free 30-minute appointment with a local solicitor. How can I find a Will solicitor near me? You can find a list of solicitors on the website of the Law Society which is the professional body for solicitors. Here, you can search easily for solicitors in your local area. We are not able to recommend a solicitor, but we do have a list of local law firms who kindly offer discounted rates for Treetops supporters. What should I consider when making a Will? Some of the important things to consider including in your Will are: Who you would like to benefit from your Will Who you would like to look after any children aged under 18 Who will be your executor. This is the person, or people, who will be responsible for sorting out your estate and carrying out your wishes after your death. This can be a friend or relative, or a solicitor. What should happen if the people you want to benefit from your Will die before you If you would like to leave a gift in your Will to a charity When should I make a Will? Most people will make several Wills during their lifetime. You might make your first Will when something significant happens in your life, for example, when you buy a house, when you get married, or when you have children. As circumstances change you may need to make a new Will – perhaps to include grandchildren, for example, or to specify who should inherit particular items of property or keepsakes. What happens if I don’t have a Will when I die? When someone dies without having a Will in the UK, this is known as being intestate. The law will decide who gets what. If you have not made your wishes known, your next of kin will need to apply to be an administrator of your estate. This can take some time and may be costly as well as stressful for loved ones who will be grieving. How much does it cost to make a Will in the UK? The cost of making a Will in the UK varies, depending how complicated your needs and wishes are. If your needs are more complex, perhaps involving setting up a Trust, then this will be more expensive. Can you make a free Will? Is a free Will legal? Online Wills have been around for many years. The company that Treetops works with is called 'Make a Will Online', which has been supporting charities in this way since 2008. Every Will is checked by a fully qualified solicitor who can also give support through phone calls and aftercare emails. You can make a free Will online from the comfort of your own home. This is suitable for people with simple circumstances and wishes. Some people still worry that a Will made online, rather than in the traditional way, might be open to challenge in the future. We can offer a free additional service that could give you extra peace of mind. Any Treetops supporter making a free Will through Make a Will Online now also has free use of Capacity Vault – a service usually costing £150. This service enables you to use your mobile phone or computer to record yourself answering questions and confirming your wishes. This recording is then stored securely by Capacity Vault and can be produced in the future if it’s ever needed. This may be especially important to anyone who is elderly, ill, concerned about family disputes, or who is leaving a substantial gift. Where should I keep my Will? Should I tell people where to find my Will? Your solicitor will keep a copy of your Will, and you will be given a copy to keep too. It is a good idea to keep all your important documents together in a secure place, such as a safe or fireproof box. Knowing where to find all your important documents helps someone manage your affairs for you after you have died. You can also tell people which solicitor you have used to write your Will. If your Last Will and Testament cannot be found after your death, they can write to the solicitor to obtain a copy, as it will be needed in order to apply for probate. If the solicitor has gone out of business, the Law Society may be able to help. Can I leave money or property to charity in my Will? Absolutely. This is a lovely way to leave a lasting legacy. Gifts may be pecuniary (a named amount) or residual (a percentage of your estate) or you can leave property in your Will. Remember that a pecuniary amount will lose its value over the years. A residual sum will continue to grow in line with inflation. You will need the charity’s official name, registered charity number and registered office address. If you would like to leave a gift in your Will for Treetops, our charity details are: Charity name: Treetops Hospice Trust Registered Charity Number: 519540 Registered office: Treetops Hospice, Derby Road, Risley, Derbyshire, DE72 3SS Do I have to tell people what’s in my Will? It’s entirely up to you who you tell about what’s in your Will. Your Will is a private document. You might want to explain your decisions about who will inherit what, or to manage expectations in order to avoid misunderstandings or disappointment after your death. What happens if I change my mind – how can I change my Will? If you want to update your Will, you need to make an official alteration called a ‘codicil’ - or make a new Will. How does a gift in a Will help Treetops Hospice? Up to two in five of our Hospice at Home patients are cared for thanks to gifts in Wills, so they are immensely important to us. Without the generosity of people remembering us in their Will, much of our work would not be possible. Even a legacy of a modest value makes a difference. Last year*, all the legacies of up to £5,000 we received, together could have helped provide a night of nursing care for 152 patients, and support for their families. After looking after your family and loved ones, could you support Treetops in this way? This could be your own legacy to help support and care for the local community after your death. Each gift is special and treasured in its own right, no matter the value. We offer a personalised gold leaf on our Memory Tree to mark each legacy we receive. ‘A gift today to give care tomorrow.’ [caption id="attachment_5065" align="alignnone" width="800"] Treetops Memory Tree[/caption] Should I tell you if I leave Treetops something in my Will? We’d love to know if you decide to leave Treetops Hospice a gift in your Will. Knowing about future gifts helps us plan for the future. Most of all, we would like to say thank you for your gift. We also want to keep you updated about our services, and from time to time we’ll invite you to special events. When we’re notified of someone’s gift only after they’ve died, it’s too late to thank them. So please tell us now, and we will send you a special lapel pin along with our thanks. What is an Advance Decision or Living Will? You may wish to outline your wishes for refusing medical treatment if you become terminally ill, or if you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. This legal document is known as an 'advance decision' - formerly called a 'Living Will'. An advance decision is legally-binding but will be implemented only if you lose capacity or cannot communicate your wishes in person. It does not give someone else power to make other medical decisions on your behalf - for that, you'll need to put in place a Lasting Power of Attorney. What’s a Lasting Power of Attorney? A Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to appoint someone to act on your behalf should you be unable to make decisions yourself. You can set up a Power of Attorney only while you still have the ability to understand information and make decisions for yourself, known as 'mental capacity' - so it's worth putting one in place early on. It’s advisable to make two LPAs – one for your financial matters, and the other for health issues. What is Make a Will Month? Make a Will Month is a simple way of reminding people of the importance of making a Will. We offer advice about how to make a Will easily and at a discounted price, by supporting a charity. At Treetops, we hold Make a Will Month activities every March and October. Gifts in Wills are really important to us, as they help provide care for up to two in every five Hospice at Home patients. For further information or advice, please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like to chat more. we'd love to hear from you. *figures correct at the time of publishing (August 2024)

When Walter Dodd was diagnosed with lung cancer, he wanted to spend his final days at home. Just eighteen days later, with support and care from Treetops Hospice nurses, Walter died peacefully at home with his wife and two daughters.

Treetops Hospice has welcomed Professor Ruth Parry to their communication skills training team as an honorary professor to develop research-based training on communicating with empathy.

When Tess was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour last year, she and her husband Adrian agreed that they wanted her to stay in their family home. Treetops Hospice nurses are supporting them with end-of-life nursing care so they can remain together.

Ellen Busby is amongst the first to sign up for our Moonlight Walk walking in memory of her late husband John, affectionately known as ‘Buzz’.

“The best Friday phone call ever” is how Ioni Finlay describes her call from Treetops Lottery, telling her she’d won the rollover jackpot of £8,200.

Treetops has launched this year’s Moonlight Walk. The sponsored charity walk will welcome hundreds of people on the evening of Friday 6 September, walking to raise money for the local hospice.

Sarah Cundill, Deputy Therapeutic Services Manager, answers some common questions about adult bereavement and how to support someone after the death of a loved one. What is bereavement? Bereavement is the word used to describe the death of a person. This could be the death of a husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling, child, or other relative or friend. What is grief? Grief is the response to a bereavement. Adults who have been bereaved may find themselves struggling with a powerful range of emotions. It’s important to remember that everyone grieves in their own unique way. There are many different feelings and emotions that you might experience. You may also notice changes in your behaviour after a death. You might: Feel more tired or not sleep well Not want to get involved in everyday things such as a regular hobby Be forgetful or unable to concentrate Get upset by simple things like hearing a song on the radio or seeing a photo of your loved one Want to be closer to your family and loved ones Argue or cry more often These are all completely normal reactions associated with grief. Does everyone grieve in the same way? Does every loss feel the same? Grief is unique to everyone. It's as unique as our fingerprints. We've all got our own personalities, our life experiences, and we've all got our own coping strategies and ways of dealing with things. Grief can be different depending on who’s died and your relationship with them. For example, each member of a family will have a different reaction to the death of the same family member. Think about your own close relationships. Each person has a different significance to you. Sometimes their importance to you may only be fully realised after a death. Grief is a response to both the depth and significance of this unique relationship. It's not just about the person you've lost, it's also the role they played in your life. For adults who experience the death of a husband or wife, that person may have been the one who did all the finances. Or they always filled the car with petrol, or was the practical person within your household. So, if that's the person that’s died, you've also lost those roles as well. Having to adjust to do these tasks yourself, is a direct reminder of your loved one’s absence. It can also feel overwhelming when you are trying to cope with your grief. It can be more difficult if the relationship you had was challenging, or you were estranged. You won’t have those positive memories to draw on. This is when grief becomes more complicated, and you probably need professional support. [button url="https://www.treetopshospice.org.uk/our-services/therapeutic-services/counselling-and-emotional-support-service/counselling-and-emotional-support-service-for-adults-dealing-with-bereavement/" template="block" class="btn-block--red"]Find out more about our bereavement support for adults and children[/button] Why don’t I feel sad when someone dies? There is an assumption that everybody should cry when somebody dies, and that's not always the case. It might not be part of your culture to express your feelings in this way. Or sometimes people think they will be perceived as weak if they cry and will often apologise for crying. You might process your grief through talking and sharing their feelings. Or you may not want to talk at all and want to be on your own. Everyone is different. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve. And it’s important not to judge the way someone reacts to the death of a loved one, and simply offer the support they need. Why is grief so painful? Grief can feel like the bond between ourselves and our loved one has been severed. Our response to this can be felt emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually and can be incredibly painful. Some people describe feeling like their heart is literally breaking. Grief can also make you feel physically unwell or very tired, because those emotions are so intense and gut wrenching. If you experience intense and long periods of crying and yearning for your loved one, for example, this can feel physically painful and exhausting. Why is grief worse at night? During the day, people usually have tasks that need completing and things that keep them busy. So it is common for grief to feel worse at night when there are less distractions. Following a bereavement, you might swing, or oscillate, in and out of feeling sad, but still have to get on with daily tasks, such as shopping for food. At night, everything can feel quieter. So when things start to settle, emotions, thoughts and memories come to the surface. These can seem particularly intense if you are also struggling to sleep. Does grief get worse with time? Most people find that grief changes over time as we find ways to live alongside it and manage our emotions. We all develop our own coping strategies, and these too can change over time. Sometimes you might try to find ways of avoiding your grief to protect yourself from the pain. Or you might throw yourself into caring for others, particularly if they are grieving too. You also may have other things happening in your life which doesn’t allow the space for you to grieve. However, sooner or later, we can find our grief begins to break through and we feel the need to pay attention to it. Whilst grief is a natural reaction to the loss of a loved one, you may find it beneficial to seek support to help make sense of your reactions. This might be by talking it through with your family and friends, joining a bereavement group, or seeking out counselling. How can I support myself during a significant anniversary such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or birthdays? Birthdays and other anniversaries are likely to be a more challenging day than normal when you’ve been bereaved. You may want to be on your own, being quiet and reflective. Or you may want company and to share memories. It’s important to do what feels right for you. One of the things that can be helpful as you prepare for a significant anniversary, is the concept of continuing bonds: finding a way to continue your relationship with your loved one after their death. This could perhaps involve keeping up a tradition or developing a ritual. This is something that you may seek to do naturally throughout the year, by emphasising connections, big or small to the things that were important to your loved one - a favourite flower, film, or place, as examples. Consider activities that you know your loved one liked, or that you enjoyed together. You might go to their favourite restaurant, or have their favourite cake, so they still feel part of that celebration. You could light a candle, plant something in the garden, write your feelings down in a card, or post a message or photo on social media to share with family and friends. Be kind to yourself and compassionate towards your own feelings. It is okay to not be okay. Don’t expect too much of yourself. Where possible, allow yourself to feel your emotions, rather than pushing them away. [button url="https://www.treetopshospice.org.uk/resources/coping-grief-mothersday/" template="block" class="btn-block--red"]Read our advice on coping with grief on Mother's Day[/button] [button url="https://www.treetopshospice.org.uk/resources/coping-with-grief-christmas/" template="block" class="btn-block--red"]Read our advice on coping with grief at Christmas[/button] Will each anniversary - the first birthday, first Christmas, or other milestone - always feel the same after the death of a loved one? There's an assumption that the first anniversary or first significant date after a loved one’s death will be the most challenging for you. This could be a birthday (yours, theirs, or another family member), a wedding anniversary, or something similar. But sometimes that's not the case. Because you expect the first anniversary will be difficult, you tend to prepare yourself for it. You anticipate it will be a hard time. You might think, ‘I’ve just got to get through this first Christmas’ or ‘I’ve just got to get through this first wedding anniversary.’ When we talk about grief at Treetops, we talk about how you swing, or oscillate, in and out of grief. In this situation, you may swing back into your loss, and probably weren’t expecting it to be as intense, so it can feel like it’s worse. What should I say to someone who’s grieving after losing someone they love? It’s natural to feel anxious about talking to someone about the death of their loved one. You might think that talking about the person that’s died is the wrong thing to do or you may be worried about upsetting them. You may be unsure about what to say or not to say. Or you might not know how to start a conversation. Grief can feel very isolating and being surrounded by people who don’t talk about it can make this feeling worse. Giving people an opportunity to talk about their loved one is often a good thing. The worst has already happened. You are unlikely to make them any more upset than they already are. Even if they do get upset and tearful, that’s okay. It’s important to let them connect with their memories and share them with you. Often people say that they felt supported initially, but it is when everyone around them returns to their normal lives, that they feel most alone. Offering opportunities to talk even months down the line can help reduce this sense of isolation. How do I know if I need bereavement counselling after a death? How can bereavement counselling help me? Everyone will experience a bereavement at least once in their lifetime. It’s important to remember that grief is a normal reaction to loss. Often grief can feel particularly intense and hard to cope with in the weeks and months following a bereavement, but generally, over time you should start to notice you are better able to cope with the impact of your loss. However, sometimes for a variety of reasons this does not happen. If you find you continue to struggle with the impact of your grief on day-to-day life and things like sleep, appetite, your ability to work and your mood continue to be affected, you might benefit from some professional support. People’s experience of grief tends to change over time as they find ways to live alongside it. Bereavement counselling can help you to integrate your grief into your life so that it doesn’t have such a far-reaching impact. What is bereavement counselling? What is bereavement counselling like? Bereavement counselling involves a person who’s struggling with the death of a loved one talking to a trained counsellor to help them process their grief. This is usually done through weekly sessions. When you come for bereavement counselling at Treetops, you are matched with a counsellor. You will see the same counsellor at every session so you can build a relationship of trust. They will get to know you and understand what you need to support you. Through this relationship with your counsellor, you will learn to understand your grief and its unique impact on you. We also help you understand that what you’re experiencing is normal. We often hear people say that grief can make you feel like you’re going mad. One minute you feel okay and the next minute you don’t. This oscillation (swinging back and forth) can go on for a long time. This is a normal reaction and it’s helpful to have that reassurance. During a counselling session you might want to just sit and talk, releasing your emotions. You might not feel able to do this in the ‘real world’ where people might expect you to be okay. Your bereavement counsellor can also help you explore coping strategies. You might spend some time focusing on memories of your loved one. By capturing these, we can grasp the importance of our loved one to us and the bearing they had on our lives. Grief can be an assault on the body, affecting you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The shock of a bereavement can trigger a ‘fight or flight’ response and these symptoms can have a far-reaching effect. Your bereavement counsellor can help you learn to manage these symptoms and reduce their impact. Over time, you can learn to make sense of what has happened, develop a narrative that is meaningful to you and integrate this into your life. You become more able to understand, and talk about your loved one’s death in a way that allows you to better manage your day-to-day life, without being thrown too far off track by reminders of them. Where does bereavement counselling take place at Treetops? Bereavement counselling sessions for adults take place in our bespoke counselling centre at the hospice based in Risley, Derbyshire. The rooms are designed to help you feel relaxed, and all rooms have views of our beautiful grounds. Our counselling centre is not clinical in any way. It’s a calming, helping, supportive environment. How many bereavement sessions will I need? We offer bereavement counselling sessions for as long as you need them. We normally offer an initial 12 sessions bu this can be extended where needed. If you do need more bereavement support, we have an open door policy. This allows you to come back for more support if something happens in life that re-triggers your grief. Is everything I talk about during bereavement counselling confidential? Everything you talk about during a bereavement counselling session is highly confidential. Generally, the only time where a counsellor will break that confidentiality, is if they had a concern around your safety or that of someone else. For example, if they had a concern that you or somebody else was being harmed in any way. But they would do this in collaboration with you wherever possible. If they felt the need to take some information outside the counselling room, you would be informed. They would explain what they need to do and what will happen next. How much does bereavement counselling cost? Bereavement counselling at Treetops is completely free and not means-tested. How can I access adult bereavement counselling? You must refer yourself to bereavement counselling at Treetops. Other people may recommend you contact us, such as your GP or another health professional, but you must contact us in person. Counselling is not right for everyone and to benefit from it you must have the capacity to engage with the weekly sessions. Approaching us when the time feels right, and you are able to commit to the process, is an important part of accessing help. Do you have a grief support group? Where can I meet other adults who’ve been bereaved? We offer a weekly peer support group for bereaved adults called Tears to Laughter where you can meet other people who have experienced bereavement. The group is a safe space to share how you truly feel after a bereavement, without fear of upsetting family members or friends. This group does not offer bereavement counselling. If you need additional emotional support, we will signpost you to our bereavement counselling team, where you can access further help. How can I become a bereavement counsellor at Treetops? At Treetops, we have a bereavement counselling team made up of qualified counsellors, student counsellors, and trained support volunteers. We are always looking for qualified counsellors (with a minimum of a Diploma in Counselling) to join us on a volunteer basis. This is an ideal opportunity for newly qualified counsellors looking to gain valuable experience, or for those who are building up their hours towards accreditation. Counsellors in any stage of their career would be most welcome. Do you offer counselling placements for students? We run a student placement scheme for students in the second year of their training. We have two intakes a year, in spring and autumn. All our counsellors have an interview and attend two-day counselling induction training which includes sessions on working with bereavement, loss and life-limiting illness. All volunteers work with at least two clients a week. We provide supervision, monthly workshops, insurance and DBS checks. There is additional training specifically to support work with children and young people. We also offer training in working from a trauma-informed perspective. How can I support my child/ren after a bereavement? You can find answers to a wide range of questions about supporting a child after the death of a loved one on our website. Where do we support? Our counselling service is available to all users of Treetops Hospice services, and adults and children registered with a GP practice in Derby city, Southern Derbyshire or Erewash. Your bereavement may have occurred at any time in the past. Many of our referrals are in relation to unexpected and/or traumatic bereavement. The service is available for as long as you need it in relation to dealing with your loss. Care and support outside our catchment area If you live outside our catchment areas, you can find other sources of help and advice about adult bereavement on our website. You could also try contacting your local hospice for more bereavement support for adults and children.

National Make a Will Month in March is the perfect time to remember to write or update your Will to ensure your final wishes are met.

Treetops has received £100,000 funding to help Derbyshire care homes support residents who are approaching the end of their life.