Palliative Care...

At Birtley House Nursing Home, we are dedicated to providing compassionate and dignified end-of-life care that rivals the services of a hospice.

Our personalised palliative care ensures that you or your loved ones can remain in the comfort of a home, with one-to-one support from our specially trained carers. We offer expert holistic symptom relief and specialist support whenever it is needed. As an award-winning end-of-life care home in Guildford, our commitment to excellent communication and care ensures comfort during this important time. Find out more about our palliative care services below.

Supportive End of Life Palliative Care

Palliative care aims to manage pain and other symptoms in someone’s final days or weeks. Although we have many residents who come to Birtley and experience several years here, some people do of course come to us purely for end of life care.

The homely environment and a person’s own private space is much preferred to spending final days on a hospital ward, often surrounded by strangers. It provides comfort and security for the whole family and is more beneficial for someone’s well-being, even affecting their will and ability to live longer.

Specialist Care with Consideration

End of life care is a specialist service and requires exceptional emotional intelligence from all of the team involved to deliver the personalised care that is required. Our team of care professionals work together with the resident and family members to help them come to terms with the situation and find peace in themselves to allow them to enter the final stage of their life, content and without fear.

This process involves an intricate combination of personalised care and continuous emotional support addressing psychological and spiritual needs, and a tranquil environment. All of which Birtley House can provide to its residents immeasurably and to the highest of standards. This gives the individual the opportunity to still find joy and live peacefully through their final journey in life. It brings comfort and support to a persons’ loved ones too, knowing that their relative received the best care and experience possible.

Introducing DR Timo Rintilla

Having had the privilege of looking after the residents at Birtley House for over a decade, I believe that the excellent care team and warm atmosphere continues to deliver great care to all the residents.

I started my weekly visits to Birtley House more than a decade ago. It was January 2013 and I had recently joined the Wonersh Surgery as a salaried GP. During my frst visit, I remember being truly impressed by the lovely building and the grounds. I had certainly never set foot in such a nursing home before!

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work here has been the opportunity to take a holistic approach to healthcare. It’s not just about treating ailments, it’s about thinking of the quality of life. In the later stages of life, a compassionate ear can be as valuable as any prescription.

I have always been impressed by the nurses and supporting staff at Birtley House, and feel they are a real asset to the organisation. Birtley has a patient-centred ethos that has stayed constant over the past ten years.

Introducing Chaplain Reverend Liz Tilley

Birtley House is a wonderful environment and a great place to fulfil my passion to encourage and be alongside people in their later years." Is that the sort of quote you are looking for?

We have a dedicated Chaplain Liz Tilley, who visits twice weekly and gets to know our residents well to be able to support them emotionally and spiritually wherever needed.

She also provides monthly communion service and occasional other services for any who wish to attend.

Local to Guildford, Liz’s life has been dedicated to helping others, both abroad in Kenya and Tanzania, and at Wonersh Parish church. She was ordained in 2007 and after 10 years of heading up the ministry to Seniors and sharing in services and pastoral care there, she stepped back from that leadership role. Since 2018 she has been supporting Birtley House and the residents.