Another successful annual garden party at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny

More vital funds have been raised for end-of-life care at St Luke’s General Hospital following another hugely successful annual Garden Party this week.
The Kilkenny hospital was the first hospital in the country to set up an End-of-Life Care (EOLC) committee back in 2007 and it is still highly active today.
The first annual Garden Party took place in 2011 and since then thousands of euros have been raised to fund end-of-life and bereavement care there including annual Memorial services like the Remembrance Mass and Easter Ceremonies, training for staff and to purchase vital resources, like altars for each floor and drapes, which are needed to provide comfort and dignity at the end of life and for those who are bereaved.
Brenda Cooper is one of those who started the Garden Party eight years ago. A former Assistant Director of Nursing at St Luke’s, she retired five years ago but still remains on the EOLC committee as a member of the public; “I passionately believe in what we’ve achieved in St Luke’s. It’s so important to get end-of-life care right. We are able to do so many things now for staff, patients and their families.”
“Like, last year, we started the Easter Tree. It is so memorable for everybody. We have a tree planted outside the hospital and took the names of all those who have died since the Garden Party started, burnt them and then scattered the ashes around the tree. It is just so poignant for all those who joined us.”
Over 300 people die in St Luke’s each year. The EOLC committee is supported through the Hospice Friendly Hospitals programme, which is an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation and the HSE.