As part of Hospice Care Week, Kings Langley and Abbots Langley’s local hospice has unveiled a new short film showcasing its work and helping to de-mystify hospice care.
Entitled, ‘The Extra Mile,’ the film shows the day-to-day work that goes on at The Hospice of St Francis but also the special moments which help to make a difference to the lives of its patients and those close to them.
The film was directed by award-winning director, David Wachs, and funded by a donor from Harpenden whose husband the hospice cared for.
Dr Ros Taylor, hospice director, said: "There is still some misconception about what goes on in hospices and we wanted to use the medium of film to portray a snapshot of how we care for our patients at The Hospice of St Francis.
"Yes, we care for some very sick patients but amongst this there are some extremely moving moments where we do our utmost to respond to individual patient’s wishes and put them at their ease.
"The film shows our daily patient nursing care and clinical meetings alongside services we offer which may surprise the community. For example, we hold monthly pony days for children who’ve experienced loss, we have a Storyteller’s Chair for families’ use, we offer complementary therapy for patients and carers and we have a range of amazing classes and groups in our new Spring Centre for those people trying to get on with life, alongside an illness.
"In fact, it’s impossible to show the breadth of what we do in a short film but I am absolutely delighted with the result which I think encapsulates what we are about at The Hospice of St Francis.
"I would be delighted if as many people as possible could watch the short film and then if they are moved, share it with others via social media."
Hospice Care Week runs from October 7 to October 13.
David Wachs, Film Director, added: "It has been a privilege to work with The Hospice of St Francis to create this emotional film. Since my first visit to the Hospice, I have been amazed at the care I’ve witnessed and hope this film goes some way to opening the eyes of others to the service the charity provides to those who need it."
The Extra Mile can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/76419426
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