"Palliative care for my husband"

My husband died of cancer at home at the end of March 2022. He had been cared for at Altnagelvin Hospital and NW Cancer Centre and had four hospital admissions in the last 5 months of his life. But when he was told he was terminally ill, he very clearly articulated his wish to die at home. Immediately the GP Dr Courtney at the Cityview health centre and district nurse team helped us put in place the support (including especially speedy delivery of a chair, bed and mobility aids) we needed. But as a team the WHSCT cared for us all as a family. Everyone we met was respectful of my husband’s wishes and allowed him to live his remaining days at home with dignity.

All of the nurses and doctors we met took time to explain what we would all face, and gave us time to come to terms with the devastating news. 

When my husband was in his final hours, out of hours nurses ensured he was as pain free as possible and took time to talk to my daughters, involving them in his care and ensuring they felt they were part of the team.

The care taken is exemplified perhaps by the team of staff who ensured we had the equipment we needed. They delivered quickly (within a day of all requests) and took time to help us set up the chair and bed, without making us feel as if our home was the hospital. When my husband died, they attended promptly to remove equipment so we could receive his coffin back from the undertaker on the same day (a Sunday). After the funeral, nurses and our GP were in contact to check in with us as a family. 

In these awful circumstances, the WHSCT stood with us as a family. Thank you