Rotherham Hospital launches new end of life support model

Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust launched the Purple Butterfly In Memory Giving model of care to provide compassionate support to patients at the end of life and their families following feedback from bereaved relatives.

The purple butterfly symbol indicating a patient and their loved ones are facing uncertainty, deterioration, or the end of life.

To support the model, registered nursing associate Rebekah Naylor developed personalised memory boxes which can be filled with special items belonging to the patient to help families cherish their memories of their loved one.

Compiled by members of the chief nurse and supportive care teams, the boxes include ink-less fingerprints to capture a unique imprint, a storage container for a lock of hair, an angel keyring symbolising protection and guidance, forget-me-not seeds to nurture a person's memory in a living plant, and a bereavement book to help support families through what to do following a loved one's death.

Also included in the boxes, which have been partly funded by Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity’s Purple Butterfly In Memory Giving Fund, are a pair of crocheted hearts, 100 of which have provided by keen crafters after a call to action through the trust’s social media accounts.

One is kept by the patient while the other is for the family.

Chief nurse Helen Dobson said: “Learning that one of your loved ones is coming to the end of their life can be really hard to come to terms with. We have listened to feedback we have received and developed this new model of care to provide a person-centred approach. This enables families to build memories and be supported through the loss of a loved one, while our staff are able to focus on what is important to the patient as they come to the end of their life.”

The boxes have been rolled out to all adult inpatient wards at Rotherham Hospital, as well as the intensive care unit and the urgent and emergency care centre.

Anyone wishing to donate crocheted hearts should visit www.therotherhamft.nhs.uk/get-involved/crochet-hearts.