"District Nurse and caring for our mother"

We had a fantastic, empathetic and expert district nurse come and support us at the end of our mother’s life,  Grace from the Beckenham team. We had called the hospice nurses, because our mother was on a morphine infusion, but she had become very distressed. Her breathing was very laboured and she crying out with every breath. Grace attended just before the hospice nurse arrived, to check the infusion set up the day before by out of hours staff. Grace carried out her assessment and was very professional. She was a true advocate for the patient. The hospice nurse said she didn’t think our mother was in pain, or suffering. Grace said she was, explained why and the hospice nurse agreed with her. When she checked the infusion she  said she was surprised to see she was on the smallest  amount and obviously needed more. Grace and the hospice nurse made my mum comfortable and she was no longer distressed and she died comfortably in her bed with her family around her. Grace was also extremely compassionate towards my sister and I and we felt very relieved and grateful to her.