Helen House was the world's first children's hospice, opening in November 1982.
Helen House sprang from the friendship between Sister Frances Dominica and the parents of a seriously ill little girl called Helen who lived at home with her family but required 24 hour care.
It is natural that the parents of a much-loved but very ill child would want to care for them at home, but caring for your child every day and night, as well as looking after the rest of your family, and earning a living, can be exhausting.
Helen’s family’s experience highlighted the need for respite care and support for children with life-shortening conditions and so Helen House was set up to help families cope by providing occasional respite care modelled on that provided in the family home - personalised and tailored to individual needs.
Indeed the building itself was based on the family home with just eight children's bedrooms as the small scale provides flexibility, as well as affording the children and families who stay there sensitivity and dignity. The emphasis is on making the most of life, whatever the circumstances.
Today Helen House continues to provide respite and end of life care in a supportive and positive environment. It is staffed by a multi-skilled professional care team dedicated to a high level of care built around needs of the whole family. There are now over 40 children's hospice services in the UK.
A full account of the origins and development of Helen House is to be found in 'A House Called Helen: the development of hospice care for children', written by Jacqueline Worswick (Helen's mother) and published by Oxford University Press. It is available through Amazon
Douglas House
With improvements in medical care, children and young adults with life-shortening conditions are living longer than ever before.
A children's hospice environment is unlikely to be suitable for someone who's 16 or over, but neither is an adult hospice, which is why Douglas House, the world's first "Respice", was opened in February 2004.
It is a place where young adults aged 16 to around 35 can experience a high level of care in a flexible environment built around their needs. And yes, there's even a cinema and a bar to help our guests to live life to the full!
In any one year, Helen & Douglas House provides professional care and support to around 250 children and young adults, as well as their families.
