“It seemed as if the nurses knew mum personally”: Eddie’s Story

Wendy always had a positive attitude. She loved her family, she supported a number of charities, and was an active member of the community. Even when she was staying at Weldmar Hospicecare’s Inpatient Unit, she wondered what all the fuss was about.

Wendy, pictured above, was referred to Weldmar to receive palliative care when it became evident that her treatment was no longer effective. Weldmar’s Specialist Hospice at Home team began to provide regular support for her at home, alongside district nurses from her GP surgery.

Her son, Eddie, told us: “Both Weldmar and the district nurses were fantastic. They enabled her to stay at home, firstly on her own and then she moved in with us. They were never in a hurry, it was all really good.”

With concerns about the side effects of medication, a home visit was arranged for a Weldmar doctor who recommended that Wendy spend a few days at the hospice so they could work on balancing the different drugs and ensure she was as comfortable as possible.

“The nurses were great. They were very open, and talked to us about mum’s progress. If we caught the end of the night shift they would chat about how she had been overnight. She slept a lot, so it was useful to know about those times she’d been awake and what she had said. It seemed as if they knew mum, and all of the patients, personally.”

Sadly, it became evident that during Wendy’s stay that her condition was deteriorating, and two weeks after she was admitted Wendy passed away peacefully.

“We felt very much supported through that time,” explains Eddie. “My wife, Noreen, had been mum’s primary carer, so she has been seeing a counsellor at Weldmar, which has helped significantly. We didn’t know that was even an option until it was offered.”

Noreen was also grateful to receive complementary therapies from Weldmar to help with her wellbeing.

“Weldmar were brilliant all the way through. I don’t think mum could have had a better end of life.”