1 Sep 2023 Care

The Kirkwood supports Birch Park Care Home and resident Margaret Tolson

The Kirkwood support hundreds of people across Kirklees who are living with a life limiting illnesses every single year. As a charity, we care for people on our In-Patient Unit in Dalton, in their own homes and in care homes across Kirklees. Two of The Kirkwood's Clinical Nurse Specialsts, Debs Hanson and Rosemary Holland, are at the forefront of our care for people living in care homes across our region. 

The Kirkwood support 116 care homes across Kirklees, helping to support their patients and staff through the aid of specialist nursing and training for care home staff.

One of these care homes is Birch Park. The Cleckheaton based care home has been running for four years and has become one of the most well known within the town. The Kirkwood support Birch Park staff with end of life care training and support, which has proved a vital resource for the team there, especially when caring for people affected by a life limiting illnesses. 

One of the residents at Birch Park is 77-year-old Margaret Tolson. Margaret is living with a multitude of health conditions and The Kirkwood are supporting the Birch Park team to provide the best possible care for her. 

On how The Kirkwood has been involved in Margaret's care, her daughter Rachael said: "We first knew about the Kirkwood when my mum became ill in July 2022 and got told she needed to have palliative care. The Kirkwood came to our house first. We got the information and I arranged for a nurse to come out. I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew we needed to do something. My mum has a progressive condition which will only get worse. 

"She has Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) which is a chronic and progressive lung disease. My mum went into the hospital, they did tests and found blood clots. With the condition she has, they stopped her medication straight away and put her on palliative care." 

After being given the news, Rachael decided to put a number of things in place. She had been caring for her mum at home, however when she discovered she needed more specialist care, Rachael called The Kirkwood. It was finally decided Margaret would go into the Birch Park Care Home in March 2023. 

On that process, Rachael explained: "When we found out about my mum's illness we contacted The Kirkwood and the nurse came out to our house to help administer medication. The nurse was very good at explaining to me what was going on, how to move forward and what needed to happen next. I'd already put a lot in place by the time I spoke to the nurse but it was comforting to know she was there to help. 

"Since my mum came to the care home, The Kirkwood staff pop in to see her and have phone calls with the management staff to check in and ask how she's doing. I know the best place for her is here. It's comforting to know that The Kirkwood are helping the care home look after my mum. 

"My mum is the rock of our family and has brought us up really well. She's a very proud and strong lady. However she has been frustrated and struggled mentally recently. She has always been the one person to go to if you have an issue. We are a very close family and we come to see her every day, either me, my brother or sister. 

"Unfortunately at the beginning of this year my mum started to have panic attacks, which happens as the condition progresses. Although we had carers, and our family, it wasn't enough and that's why we decided she needed to go into a care home. I've got a young family and I couldn’t give her the care she needed anymore. She came to Birch Park in March and in May she was assessed. They said she could go home if a carers plan was put in place but she decided to stay in the home." 

Speaking about the relationship between The Kirkwood and the care home, Birch Park Manager, Jackie Foxton, said: "The Kirkwood are a huge help to us. We provide the care to our residents but the knowledge and expertise that The Kirkwood team have in end of life care, pain management and symptom control is just superb. 

"The Kirkwood advise and train our staff to deal with situations and it is all so important in how we go on to care for the people we do. Without The Kirkwood, we couldn't provide the level of support, have the knowledge to do it and be as effective as we are."