Martin House Hospice
Encyclopedia
Martin House is a children's hospice
in Wetherby
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It provides care and support to families in which there is a child or children with a short life expectancy.
The Duchess of Kent
opened Martin House in 1987 thanks to the generosity of thousands of people who raised money to provide family-led care for children with life-limiting conditions. The ongoing day-to-day care of the child with a life-limiting illness, which may go on for a number of years, can be a physical and emotional strain on the whole family. Martin House shares with the families the care of the child. This can take the form of symptom control, emergency care, respite care
and terminal care, and the care can be provided at Martin House or in the family home. The charity tries to offer flexible care and support to all the family taking account of their background and culture.
The hospice's aim is to provide a home from home with a lively, friendly atmosphere where children and their families can enjoy the best quality of life. Although a proportion of our children suffer from cancer
, the majority of children suffer from long term progressive disorders such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
, Batten's Disease and Cystic Fibrosis
.
The charity welcomes all the family, giving them a break together or time to themselves in a comfortable, home-from-home atmosphere. It is a place of love and understanding, of fun, laughter and friendship - where they can have a full night's sleep and "recharge their batteries".
Martin House's facilities include nine specialist children's bedrooms, eight family rooms for parents and siblings, six bedrooms in an adjoining unit for teenagers and young adults, spacious sitting rooms, playrooms, multi-sensory room, Jacuzzi
, library
and a music room.
The 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) landscaped gardens have been designed for the enjoyment of the children and families during their stay in Martin House and incorporate a range of interesting equipment together with wheelchair swings, roundabout and adventure trail.
Although the care the charity provides is free to their families, it costs a great deal to run Martin House to the high standards they demand. Martin House has little access to public funds and relies almost entirely on charitable donations from individuals, charities, trusts, companies, organisations and the dedication and the enthusiastic support of its many friends. Without their generosity and help the charity would not be able to continue to provide the much-needed special care to the children and their families.
Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
in Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It provides care and support to families in which there is a child or children with a short life expectancy.
The Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent
The Duchess of Kent is the title given to the wife of the Duke of Kent.Five women have held the title:* Jemima , daughter of Thomas Crewe, 2nd Baron Crewe, first wife of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent...
opened Martin House in 1987 thanks to the generosity of thousands of people who raised money to provide family-led care for children with life-limiting conditions. The ongoing day-to-day care of the child with a life-limiting illness, which may go on for a number of years, can be a physical and emotional strain on the whole family. Martin House shares with the families the care of the child. This can take the form of symptom control, emergency care, respite care
Respite care
Respite care is the provision of short-term, temporary relief to those who are caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home....
and terminal care, and the care can be provided at Martin House or in the family home. The charity tries to offer flexible care and support to all the family taking account of their background and culture.
The hospice's aim is to provide a home from home with a lively, friendly atmosphere where children and their families can enjoy the best quality of life. Although a proportion of our children suffer from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, the majority of children suffer from long term progressive disorders such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy, which results in muscle degeneration, difficulty walking, breathing, and death. The incidence is 1 in 3,000 boys. Females and males are affected, though females are rarely affected and are more often carriers...
, Batten's Disease and Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
.
The charity welcomes all the family, giving them a break together or time to themselves in a comfortable, home-from-home atmosphere. It is a place of love and understanding, of fun, laughter and friendship - where they can have a full night's sleep and "recharge their batteries".
Martin House's facilities include nine specialist children's bedrooms, eight family rooms for parents and siblings, six bedrooms in an adjoining unit for teenagers and young adults, spacious sitting rooms, playrooms, multi-sensory room, Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and a music room.
The 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) landscaped gardens have been designed for the enjoyment of the children and families during their stay in Martin House and incorporate a range of interesting equipment together with wheelchair swings, roundabout and adventure trail.
Although the care the charity provides is free to their families, it costs a great deal to run Martin House to the high standards they demand. Martin House has little access to public funds and relies almost entirely on charitable donations from individuals, charities, trusts, companies, organisations and the dedication and the enthusiastic support of its many friends. Without their generosity and help the charity would not be able to continue to provide the much-needed special care to the children and their families.