"End of Life Hospice care"

My mother was admitted and died in our local hospice in mid December 2019.

The nursing and medical care was fantastic and my mother felt relaxed and commented how lucky she was to be cared for in the hospice.

During her last few days of life the staff kept my mother as the focus of their care and attention while at the same time were aware of the needs of the family and kept us all well informed (as allowed by my mother!)

On admission to the hospice the Dr carefully explored my mothers understanding of the situation and any fears or worries that she had. The Dr was honest in her responses without being harsh or too blunt, this approach, while upsetting was also reassuring.

The nursing staff were attentive and caring and responded quickly to control any symptoms.

Overall the only similarity I can give was it was like being in your favourite restaurant - the staff were attentive, aware of the needs of all involved and increased their involvement when required but also kept in the background when they were not required. 

The only minor negative comment I would make is regarding a voluntary group who care and gave out a "goody bag" to the patients. The bag contained shower gel, shampoo and a comb (among other things). This was not entirely appropriate as most of the patients were confined to bed and a lot had been treated for cancer and they did not have a lot of hair. My mother saw the funny side of this but it could have been upsetting for some. My suggestion would therefore to ensure gifts being given out, even from voluntary groups at Christmas / Easter, should be checked to ensure they are appropriate.