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When it comes to children’s hospices, there are many myths. These myths can influence how families looking to access hospice care feel, how professionals feel about recommending hospices, and how supporters may perceive them.
As one parent previously told us: “The hardest bit was walking through the door, because the words hospice means expecting my child is going to die.”
At Rainbows, as the only hospice for children and young people with a life-limiting condition in the East Midlands, we wanted to dispel four of the most common myths.
Myth one: Rainbows is a sad place
Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young people isn’t a sad place, but we do have sad times.
We’re supporting and caring for families probably at their most distressing time of lives, but we concentrate on enabling children to live until they die, so there are lots of happy memories being made during these sad times.
As a parent said: “You get this image when you hear the word hospice, that it’s a really sad place. But Rainbows really, really isn’t sad. We actually enjoy coming here.”
Myth two: Children and families don’t have a say in how their treated
Everything that is planned at Rainbows is planned with the family involved. This means when a child or young person is here, they can say what they’d like to do and where they’d like to be within the hospice (whether that’s arts and crafts, hydrotherapy, multi-sensory or in our gardens).
We’re also here for the whole family – supporting them throughout their journey.
Myth three: There are visiting hours, like in a hospital
We want Rainbows to feel like a home-away-from-home, so our families feel comfortable, relaxed and happy when visiting us. This is why, there are no visiting hours when a child, young person or family is staying with us. During their stay, family members can come and go as they please.
Myth four: Rainbows is funded by the government
We only receive around 15% of our funding from government bodies, which means we rely heavily on donations to fund the care we give.
So if you’ve ever made a donation to us, sponsored a friend or family member to take part in one of our events, taking part in one of our events yourself or shopped in one of our five shops, you’ve helped to fund Rainbows – and without you, we simply could not exist.
To find out more about Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, the work we do and how you can support us, please visit rainbows.co.uk – and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.