EVERY day teams of hard working men and women are helping Boltonians through the most difficult times of their lives.

Bolton Hospice nurses care for more than 700 patients facing life-limiting illnesses every year.

They deliver free care both in the hospice's Chorley Old Road facilities and in patients own homes.

As the charity celebrates its 25th year, members of the nursing team reveal what life is like working to help those with life-limiting illnesses.

Suzanne Hayes is a senior staff nurse at at the hospice, she explains what a typical day is like on the Day Unit.

She said: "Working on day therapy each day can be different and you never know what the day may bring.

"Some of our patients have complex needs and can attend feeling relatively well but sometimes things can change very quickly. Working within the unit it is a privilege, as it gives me the opportunity and time to build up a relationship with our patients.

"We organise a number of activities during the day which could include such things as creative therapies, hair and image therapy and a range of complementary therapies. This is an important time for our patients as it gives them time to relax. It also gives them the opportunity to discuss how their week, since last seeing us has been, and how things have gone.

"We also find that the day unit provides an ideal supportive environment for both monitoring our patients’ pain and symptom management.

"Some patients feel that coming here allows them to be able to speak freely about their condition which they may find hard to talk about at home."

In the last two and a half decades, the hospice has cared for more than 10,000 local people and their families.

On its hospice at home team is staff nurse Claire Valentine, who delivers all aspects of specialist palliative and end of life care, with the support of GPs, district and Macmillan nurses and social workers, to people whose prefer to be treated at home.

Claire explains: "Our first visit is to a gentleman who lives at home with his wife. He has had problems with sickness and pain and now has his medication delivered in a syringe driver pump over 24 hours.

"Nurses visit him four times a day to check this syringe driver is working correctly and to review his symptoms.

"His wife is finding it hard looking after him at home but keen to continue trying. We chat with her for a while to see how she is feeling and offer support, we all find that being able to offer time and a listening ear is a very important part of our role.

"Another visit is to a gentleman who came out of hospital the day before. His children feel anxious about him and upset about his illness.

"We spend a long time with this family, assessing the patient and also spending time with his children, answering questions and explaining things to them. The gentleman is taking several different tablets and is a bit confused about what to take and when. We explain what the different tablets are and when they should be taken.

"The family have made a photo book of family memories which he is enjoying looking at and he enjoys reminiscing and telling us about happy occasions. When we leave, his children appear a lot calmer and he seems less confused about his medication."

Bolton Hospice is appealing for local people to join its Sponsor a Nurse campaign, which raises funds for the care that Claire, Suzanne and their colleagues provide.

Supporters make a monthly donation towards the cost of providing specialist nursing care and training new nurses in its expanding team.

Since the appeal launched in March 2016, £13,500 has been pledged each year towards the £3.4 million the charity needs annually to carry on its work.

To become a sponsor visit www.boltonhospice.org.uk or call 01204 663 055.