Hagan Homes has stepped up its support for the Northern Ireland Hospice with a brand new donation.

The Ballyclare-based homebuilder announced a five-year investment of £165,000 to fund the role of a local community nurse. This will be donated alongside the firm's current partnership with the Hospice.

The renewed commitment means the homebuilder will now support the invaluable post of a much needed Community Palliative Care Nurse Specialist and Loughside team member for a total of eight years, which will offer huge support to those needing specialist palliative care in the local area.

Shauvaun McKeown has been appointed to that role and oversees the care of many patients in the area. She has joined a team of four other nurses providing advice on their caseload patients.

Shauvaun is a member of the Loughside Team, based in Ballyclare. This team specifically looks after the needs of patients living with life limiting illness within Ballyclare and the surrounding areas, including Ballynure, Burnside, Doagh and out to Templepatrick.

Hagan's pledge to support this role will support the delivery of specialist palliative care nursing to those patients referred to the NI Hospice with life-limiting illness diagnoses and those people who are reaching the end of their lives and need specialist care.

This unique service works in partnership with GPs and District Nursing Teams to coordinate an individual plan of care for each patient and support their families in their journey by holistically managing unresolved symptoms and more demanding complex care needs.

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It is this specialist palliative care following the loss of a much-loved family friend, Daphne Evans, that prompted Hagan Homes to extend its partnership with the NI Hospice.

The Hagan family experienced directly the immense support the charity delivers when it supported Daphne during her final days and it is in her memory Hagan Homes has extended its donation period by a further five years.

James Hagan, Founder and Chair of Hagan Homes said: "It is humbling to be able to support the tireless work the NI Hospice does here. What we give is just a drop in the ocean to what is needed for the charity to continue its commendable efforts.

"To sum up the work the Hospice does, the team of community nurses linked to this area of work receives over 400 referrals a year and at any given time they will be delivering care for up to 100 patients.

"We have seen, first-hand, the impact its service has on those going through end-of-life events and their wider family and friends and it is humbling to witness.

"We have donated to this project for three years already and in 2022 we will come to the end of our third year.

"In memory of a beloved family friend, Daphne Evans whose final days were made as comfortable as possible at her own home, where she wanted to be, thanks to the NI Hospice's care, we have decided to extend our donation period for a further five years to support more families and the loved ones they are caring for in the comfort of their homes.

"Our donation goes towards the Hospice's efforts In the Ballyclare area specifically — where Hagan Homes was founded."

Speaking about the work the NI Hospice nurses deliver, Community Palliative Care Nurse Specialist Shauvaun McKeown commented: "It is a privilege to be able to provide the care that our patients and families when they need it most. Our role is to provide specialist palliative care to manage a patient's symptoms and where possible help people to remain at home and avoid unplanned hospital admissions. We assess our patients' needs and, when required, refers the care to other members of the multi-disciplinary team for additional support. It is our aim to help our patients have the best quality of life in their preferred place of care, which in most cases is their own home with their family."

Thanking Hagan Homes for the donation, Heather Weir, CEO, Northern Ireland Hospice added: "This announcement is most welcome and is especially timely. The ever-increasing demand for Hospice's services is matched only by rising costs and the increased uncertainty around statutory healthcare funding due to the absence of a working Stormont Executive. Hagan Homes' generosity is wonderful news and will help us to provide the essential palliative care for the most vulnerable people in our society. On their behalf, we thank Hagan Homes and look forward to continuing our successful relationship for at least the next five years."