Demelza Hospice Care for Children
Encyclopedia
Demelza Hospice Care for Children is the only residential hospice in Kent
, East Sussex
and South London
. They provide a wide range of services to children with terminal illnesses or conditions.
, worked at a children's hospice
in Birmingham
. After visiting that facility, the couple wanted to give to their own community
by establishing such a hospice to bring cheerfulness, affection and understanding to terminally ill children. Demelza's House was formed in December 1994. Through contributions from their community as well as further afield, they were able to open the doors in 1998.
Care is provided one to one with a team of highly skilled nurses and assistants. They offer residential breaks and day care and Hospice
at Home Care. They accept any child with a life-limiting condition at any stage of illness or health, providing they fulfill the criteria.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. They provide a wide range of services to children with terminal illnesses or conditions.
History
Demelza House was set up by Derek and Jennifer Phillips after the death of their daughter in 1990. Demelza, who died of a brain tumorBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
, worked at a children's hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. After visiting that facility, the couple wanted to give to their own community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
by establishing such a hospice to bring cheerfulness, affection and understanding to terminally ill children. Demelza's House was formed in December 1994. Through contributions from their community as well as further afield, they were able to open the doors in 1998.
Care is provided one to one with a team of highly skilled nurses and assistants. They offer residential breaks and day care and Hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
at Home Care. They accept any child with a life-limiting condition at any stage of illness or health, providing they fulfill the criteria.