News

How hospice ‘family’ got us through Gill’s last months

05 June 2009

Widower Dudley Felton says the support St Helena Hospice gave him and his late wife was quite invaluable.

Mr Felton’s wife, Gillian, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2007.
At the end of the year, the Feltons were referred to the Colchester hospice and visited to find out about the help it could offer them.
Mr Felton said: “Before we had contact with the Hospice, we wondered where the help was going to come from.
“Right from the start, St Helena was brilliant. It gave us options.
“Initially, my wife could generally get around with a little bit of support from me. Then she was in a wheelchair.”

The Hospice put Mrs Felton, a receptionist for a Chelmsford law firm, in touch with a physiotherapist and a reflexologist.
The physio also showed Mr Felton the best ways to move and generally help his wife, without hurting his back.

Then in June last year, Mrs Felton spent a week at the hospice, in Barncroft Close, Colchester.
Mr Felton said: “It wasn’t quite what my wife or I had imagined. It was so relaxed, not at all like a hospital.
“She was so comfortable and the staff and nurses were so happy.
“It was almost like home from home. You felt you were a member of the family there and they all knew your Christian name.
“Gill always felt they were friends rather than nurses.”

Mr Felton was especially touched when hospice staff held a party on his 65th birthday.
After that week-long stay, his wife felt comfortable returning to St Helena again to give her husband a much needed break. The couple were also helped by the Hospice at Home service.
And when Mrs Felton died at home last October, aged 62, the help didn’t stop.

Mr Felton still attends monthly St Helena social meetings, at which he meets others with similar experiences. He has also enjoyed cookery classes organised by the hospice.
The retired Braintree Council worker explained: “I used to have no interest in cooking, because my wife was a very good cook. But it’s surprising what you can learn and find out.
“St Helena is a lot more than just a building. The support is invaluable.”

Rosy Stamp, St Helena’s director, said: “We are so glad to know we were able to support Gillian and Dudley and their sons at such a difficult and traumatic time.

“Good patient care from St Helena relies on the skills of a multi-disciplinary team.
“Many of our patients, like Gillian, benefit, not only from specialist medical and nursing care, but also from physio and occupational therapy to maintain their independence for as long as possible.

“Patients’ emotional and spiritual support is a core part of each person’s care.”
She added: “We try to look after each patient as an individual.
“Hospice at Home is a vital part of this too, as the team provides practical and emotional support so patients can make the choice to die at home, which is what most want to do.”

Nina Morgan, Halstead Gazette, Friday June 5th 2009