THIS project doesn’t star Mel Gibson.

But it does aim to help heart failure patients in the area.

Kirkwood Hospice in Dalton has launched Braveheart – a scheme designed to offer education, information and support with self-care to heart failure patients and their families.

Sister Elaine Gill applied and received £16,672 funding for the project from a major grant programme funded by the Burdett Trust for nursing and managed by Help the Hospices, the leading charity supporting hospice care throughout the UK.

Elaine, sister of the support and therapy centre at the hospice, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been awarded this grant which will help Kirkwood to better support people in Kirklees living with chronic heart failure, as well as their friends and families.”

The project will introduce patients and families to the hospice and aims to reassure them that Kirkwood’s services are not just for the care at the very end of life.

The hospice is also a place where they can obtain professional advice, support and care at key points in their illness.

The Braveheart sessions will be held over several weeks to address the information and support needs of people with chronic heart failure.

They will be given in partnership with the specialist heart failures nurses employed by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust – who oversee care in both hospitals and by Locala, who provide community health services in Kirklees.

Now 5.6% of the local population have heart disease and it is the second highest cause of death in Kirklees.

Early death rates from heart disease are higher in Kirklees than the average in England.

Local analysis has shown that heart failure accounts for 30 to 40 hospital admissions each month.

Heart failure nurses have made a positive impact on hospital admission rates and by developing links with hospice day services, they have recognised the scope to further reduce admission rates to acute hospitals through this project.

To find out more about the Braveheart project, please contact Sister Gill on 01484 557 900 or visit www.kirkwoodhospice.co.uk