As well as offering end of life care for your patients who are in the last days or weeks of life, we also offer admissions for symptom control – physical, psychological, social or spiritual.

Inpatient services available at Pilgrims

Pilgrims Hospices has inpatient wards in Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet. On these wards, each patient has access to our multi-professional team – specialist palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, spiritual care leads and counsellors.

All are expertly trained to care for every aspect of their wellbeing – in mind and body. This includes offering support, listening and counselling skills for family and carers, before the death of a loved one and into bereavement. 

We use an assessment tool called the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS) to monitor the effectiveness of each person's care throughout their time with us. This is completed by palliative patients and the healthcare professionals involved in their care and helps us make sure we are meeting each person's needs fully.

Our ward facilities

Each of our three hospices has recently refurbished single sex bays with some private rooms available. There are places for families to spend time together including family lounges, dining rooms, and children’s play areas. There are also secluded quiet spaces indoors and beautiful gardens.

A wellbeing philosophy for inpatients

When people come through our doors we want them to feel at home.

Our approach to care is always on an individual basis – everyone is different so we have very adaptable people in our teams so we can meet each patient's needs wherever they are: at home, in the hospice, in the community.

How Pilgrims supports end of life care across east Kent

With over 7,000 deaths each year in east Kent we cannot promise beds on our three wards to all dying patients, so we also work to improve the care of all dying patients in the region by supporting professionals in other settings.

We offer a range of courses and best practice study days to professionals who are involved in end of life care in primary care and community settings, such as care homes, district nursing teams and hospitals.

Click here to find out more about Pilgrims Hospices End of Life Care training programmes for GPs and Healthcare Professionals or click here to read about our 24 hour Professionals Advice line.

Information for end of life patients and carers

We aim to improve the lives of people with any life-limiting illness, providing pain relief and symptom management as well as helping them to live well day to day.

Pilgrims Hospices, together with East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT), have put together helpful pack for patients who are receiving palliative care and helpful pack for carers to help them adjust to caring for a terminally ill relative, partner or friend.