Care Opinion

Although it was a very sad time i am so, so thankful to the ...

Posted By edflot

"Although it was a very sad time i am so, so thankful to the staff.."

About: Forest Holme Hospice

(as a relative),

I heard those words 'your mum needs palliative care.' 

Just hearing that made my heart sink - we all know what 'palliative' means.  Mum so wanted to be at home, but that was not possible and she was transferred to Forest Holme Hospice. 

I dreaded  walking in there, having had no experience of a hospice, and thought it would  be a quiet, sad place. 
How wrong I was!!
From the moment Mum and I got there, we were looked after so well. Not only did they make mum's final days pain free, everybody was respectful of her needs and she was treated with such care and compassion.
The nurses also made sure I was okay - never too busy to chat, give me a hug or lend me a shoulder to cry on. It was such a friendly, relaxed, family place where nothing was too much trouble.
Although it was a very sad time i am so, so thankful to the staff at Forest Holme and will never ever forget their kindness.
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Responses

Response from Saskie Dorman, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Forest Holme Hospice, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust 4 years ago
Saskie Dorman
Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Forest Holme Hospice,
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Doctor

Submitted on 20/07/2020 at 20:50
Published on Care Opinion on 21/07/2020 at 13:15

picture of Saskie Dorman

Dear edflot,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I'm so glad the team at Forest Holme were able to help both and your Mum to feel more relaxed and comfortable at this very sad time. Sometimes a chat or a hug can make all the difference... the little things become the big things.

Your kind words will mean a lot to the whole team. We make sure to share comments and experiences at our weekly team meetings, helping us to recognise what people appreciate and also to improve what we do.

You mentioned that you'd been dreading walking into the hospice. You're not alone in that and I think sometimes that puts people off coming to the hospice at all. If you have ideas or suggestions about ways we could help hospices feel less scary - or any other suggestions about improvements we could make - we would love to hear.

Thanks again, your words are very much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Saskie

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