"Thank you for ensuring passing was painless and peaceful"

My mum was admitted to ward 31 late October  24 and was there for 5 weeks before she died. It was the day before her birthday. My mum had dementia and after having a stroke we knew that mum wouldn’t be coming home.  

The staff were very attentive and nothing was too much trouble. They were so very kind and caring and as I said to them, it’s the little things they did that will stay with me forever. Mum refused to let the staff insert any tubes so she ultimately died from not eating or drinking, which was heartbreaking. My mum had been in and out of hospital since lockdown and sadly we’ve had a lot of unhappy experiences of some of the care given in various wards. Most of the time we had the impression she was considered a nuisance and because of her dementia some staff didn’t seem to know how to deal with her, but not Ward 31. Everything they did was with genuine care and attention for their patients.

I had lots of time on the ward as mum slept most of the time so I saw how hard they all worked.  They were on the go all the time checking on everyone and the families. I often read stories about how staff just stand in groups chatting but they didn’t do that in this ward, they were too busy. They not only held my mum’s hand but mine as well when I sometimes felt overwhelmed. I know it’s a little thing but the day before mum died I said to my husband that mum had a hairy chin and how she would hate that. I came in the next morning and the staff had removed all the hair on her chin.

All the staff that contribute to the efficient running of this ward should be proud of themselves and the difference they make. Thank you for making mum as comfortable as she could be and ensuring her passing was painless and peaceful.