Karen arrived at the Hospice after an extended stay in hospital. “I was in a bad way health-wise,” she explains. She was so weak that she couldn’t walk, and her blood pressure was dangerously low.
She spent her first few months resting and recovering in a wing for patients with more acute medical needs. “The nurses there are really great,” she says. “They’re really understanding and patient.” Even though she’s no longer in that wing, she still appreciates the support available. “It’s nice to know that somebody is here 24/7, even throughout the night, if I did need anything.”
Karen’s room has a large window with a bright outlook. “It’s quite peaceful here,” she says. It’s also full of greeting cards featuring nature photography, religious imagery and children’s drawings. Much of it came through a community mail initiative, which brings so much life to the Hospice.
Hospice staff encouraged her to sign up for the initiative, just in time to receive cards at the height of the COVID lockdown. “They really cheered me up,” she remembers, “especially at Christmas.”
*Name changed to protect privacy
