New hospice facility for Franklin

Franklin is one of the fastest-growing communities in New Zealand. As our population grows, so too does the need for accessible, high-quality hospice care.

Franklin Hospice provides specialist palliative care services to people across the Franklin
community, supporting patients and whānau in their homes.

Franklin Hospice chief executive Lydia Charteris says one in three people will need hospice
care. The Franklin team provides nursing care, medical support, family support, bereavement services, and practical guidance for people living with life-limiting illness.

“However, our current facility is extremely limited in space. At present, we effectively have one community room that doubles as our meeting room, counselling space, education area, staff space, and ‘everything room.’ We also only have one private counselling room available for families and bereavement support.”

The build is expected to cost $7.5 million, with $4.5 million contributed by Franklin Community Hospice. The remaining $3 million will need to be raised over the next 12 months.

“Now, our growing community needs us more than ever — and we must prepare for what comes next. The need is growing and we need your support.

“The new hospice build represents a significant step forward for our community and will allow us to provide a far broader range of support in a purpose-built environment designed around patients and whānau (family) needs.”

The new facility on Foy Road will include:

• Three patient rooms for day stays, allowing people to receive symptom management
  support and short-term care in a calm hospice environment.
•  Expanded wellbeing and support services such as massage therapy, grief counselling, and
  family support.
• Dedicated spaces for bereavement support and private counselling.
• Community education spaces so we can run workshops and information sessions onsite
  rather than hiring external venues.
• Flexible spaces to partner with the wider health community and host additional support
  services for local people.
• Outdoor areas including a memorial garden where families can remember and reflect on
  loved ones.
• The ability to host fundraising and community events onsite, which we are currently
  unable to do due to space limitations.