Getting ready for a visit from a Marie Curie Nurse or Healthcare Assistant

The Marie Curie Nurse or Healthcare Assistant due to visit will phone you before setting out for your home. This allows them to introduce themselves to you, and to let you know that they’re on their way to see you.

They won’t do this if their visit is due to start early in the day (for example, at 7am), to avoid waking you or your family.

They also won’t call ahead if their visit has been arranged at very short notice, for example due to an urgent situation.

To help us provide the care that you need, please make sure we have easy access to:

Our nurses and healthcare assistants are unable to work in conditions where there’s smoking because of the health risk from passive smoking. You can help by providing a smoke-free environment in the room where our nurse or healthcare assistant will be based while they’re giving care, as well as any other rooms they would need to enter.

This means not smoking in those rooms an hour before our nurse or healthcare assistant is due to visit and, if there’s smoke in the room, opening a window to let some fresh air in.

If you have a pet or other animals that you keep at home, you can help by making sure that they are well managed, or kept in their own room, before our nurse or healthcare assistant arrives in your home.

This is especially important if your pet or other animals are excitable or not used to strangers, as they may cause disruption to the care that our nurse or healthcare assistant is trying to provide for you.

If necessary, you may want to ask someone else to look after your pet or other animals while the nurse or healthcare assistant is with you.

If for any reason you no longer need a visit from our nursing team, please remember to contact us (see the phone number for your area below). It’s helpful to let us know in advance so we can provide care to another person who needs it in your area.

We are committed to safeguarding everyone we come into contact with from abuse and neglect. If you are worried that you or someone you know is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse and neglect, then please speak with one of our staff who will be able to help.

We also have a responsibility to safeguard our staff and volunteers. We provide our staff with a mobile phone so they can contact our lone worker monitoring system anytime while they’re on their nursing duty.

We may also refuse or cancel care if, in our opinion, there is a risk or potential risk to our nursing staff – and this may be as a result of verbal, physical or discriminatory abuse.

Once you’re having Marie Cure Hospice Care at Home, you may have questions about the visits or support we can provide.

If you have a specific medical problem, please contact your GP first. When you ring us, we might also put you in contact with another organisation if they are better placed to help you.

If you are not sure which number you should call, you can call our free Support Line on 0800 090 2309. They can take your details and direct you to the right number – check the opening hours.