Bereavement Support Line 1800 80 70 77

Launching Information and Support Line: Freephone 1800 60 70 66

A photo of four smiling women standing outside holding two signs. The first sign is of a giant phone and the phone number 1800 60 70 66. The second sign says "Irish Hospice Foundation Information and Support Line" and includes the line's opening hours.

Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has seen a surge in demand for information and support around dying, death and bereavement, with a huge rise in public interest in advance care planning through our Think Ahead Planning Pack, according to information from our 2023 Annual Report, which was released today.

Demand for the pack, which enables people to plan and document their personal healthcare choices and wishes for end of life, rose by 53% in 2023, with around 10,000 people requesting a hard copy or online version of the Think Ahead Planning Pack.

Also in demand were our workshops on death, dying and bereavement, with close to 7,000 people attending online and in-person workshops, an 83% increase over the previous year.

Additionally, IHF funds a Nurses for Night Care service to support people with non-cancer diagnoses facing end of life in their own homes. Last year, the service delivered 2,920 nights of care to approximately 1,000 people, an increase of 8% over the previous year.

2023 also saw the release of our Dying Well at Home Focus Group Report, which clearly indicated that families and carers feel that there is insufficient access to information about key services and supports for people caring for loved ones at end of life. One of the key recommendations from the report was a scoping exercise to develop an information and support service to better support families, healthcare workers and the wider community.

In response to this recommendation, and the clear increase in demand for services, Irish Hospice Foundation has today launched our Information and Support Line, which provides details of supports around end-of-life care queries, advance care planning and palliative care. Callers will receive information directing them to local and national services and can access useful resources for people experiencing or preparing for end of life.

A photo of four smiling women standing outside holding two signs. The first sign is of a giant phone and the phone number 1800 60 70 66. The second sign says "Irish Hospice Foundation Information and Support Line" and includes the line's opening hours.

Initially, the Information and Support Line is open from 9am-1pm five days a week from Monday – Friday and can be reached by calling Freephone 1800 60 70 66.

This line also enables IHF to identify where gaps exist within the community in end-of-life information and services. We can then develop responses to address information gaps, and can highlight and advocate in areas where provision of service gaps are identified.

Lisa Dunne, Information and Support Line Lead at Irish Hospice Foundation, said:

“The Information and Support Line delivers essential information to people facing the challenges of navigating end of life for themselves or a loved one. IHF is delighted to be leading the way with an essential next step in supporting the public to take control of their end-of-life journey.”

Our Annual Report for 2023 shows a range of key achievements in 2023, including:

  • 1,290 calls answered on our Bereavement Support Line
  • 2,920 nights of Nurses for Night Care delivered to approximately 1,000 people
  • 6,860 people attended training or workshops on dying, death and bereavement
  • 10,000 Think Ahead Planning Packs distributed
  • 1,267 people explored themes of dying and grief through our Arts & Cultural Engagement programme to increase conversations and societal awareness of the impact of death, dying and bereavement
  • 90 families were supported through Rosabel’s Room’s following the loss of a child
  • 51 people completed IHF’s postgraduate programmes in loss and bereavement
A photo of Paula O'Reilly, Irish Hospice Foundation's CEO, holding the front cover of IHF's Annual Report 2023.

Paula O’Reilly, CEO Irish Hospice Foundation, said:

“I am very proud today to be launching the Information and Support Line, which is a testament to Irish Hospice Foundation’s rapid response to the recommendation for a service to address the need for information about palliative care, end-of-life care and advance care planning.

“Access to information is a key factor in ensuring that the person and their family have the opportunity to make informed choices and are empowered to communicate what supports they want at end of life. Both the Dying Well at Home Focus Group Report and our 2023 Annual Report statistics show that there is clearly a rising demand for more information and support around death, dying and bereavement in Ireland, and our ageing population means that this demand will only increase in the coming years.”

Learn more about the Information and Support Line, freephone 1800 60 70 66.

Read Irish Hospice Foundation’s Annual Report 2023.

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