Nurses for Night Care

On behalf of Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), we send heartfelt thanks to you. Your donations have been crucial in meeting the growing demand for Nurses for Night Care.  

As you know, Irish Hospice Foundation funds the specialist Nurses for Night Care service for patients dying of non-malignant conditions such as dementia, motor neuron disease, respiratory disease, heart failure and kidney disease (these illnesses account for 70% of deaths in Ireland). The service is a direct benefit to patients as it enables them to spend their final days in their own home, in their own bed with their families and loved ones by their side. There is no service quite like ours in Ireland for those with non-cancer diagnosis.    

Thanks to your kindness, our vital healthcare service, Nurses for Night Care continues to be provided nationwide. Our provisional figures tell us that from January 2023 until end of August 2023, IHF funded 1653 nights of end-of-life nursing care at home, supporting 849 families across Ireland. 

One family that received Nurses for Night Care is Tom’s family. Tom was 52 when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Toms wish to die at home was fulfilled with the help of Nurses for Night Care.  

Tom’s wife, Helen was heartbroken with the diagnosis but so grateful for the Nurses for Night Careservice to help her.  

‘Without Nurses for Night Care, I wouldn’t have been able to cope. They were brilliant. Having a Nurse for Night Care there meant Tom could be at home right to the end...just like he wanted.’ 

Were it not for the kindness of caring hearts like yours, Tom could not have taken his final breaths at home, surrounded by his wife, Helen and two children. Every precious night of care nursing costs€337. Based on our figures, we estimate the cost of the service will increase to over €1,000,000 per year.  This special service is funded largely by caring people like you. On behalf of the families you bring joy and peace to across Ireland at a difficult time, thank you.