Merry Christmas and all the Best for a super New Year.

Thanks to our community for all your support – its awesome.

December has arrived and for many of us, we are trying to get all those jobs we’ve been meaning to do during spring completed. The holiday season, Christmas, and New Year will be upon us very quickly. 

We want to thank you all for your continued support it’s been so needed and so appreciated. 

The latest Hospice Southland newsletter has been published and you can view it on our website. One of the interesting articles is by our Medical Director Dr Katie Weatherstone giving some insight into how we try to deal with each patient as individually as possible and to help them achieve their last few wishes. 

Home is where the heart is

We had a patient who was gradually deteriorating in the hospice. She had pain and nausea, and we had been carefully changing her medications to make her more comfortable. We gave medications through a tiny tube that sits under the skin (called subcutaneous) meaning that there was no need to find a vein. We set-up a syringe driver (a battery powered device that allows a small amount of a mixture of medications to be delivered continuously) and this had helped her to feel better. She needed one or two nurses to help her with everyday tasks. Her room, like all the rooms in the inpatient unit, overlooked our beautiful garden. Despite her symptoms improving and being cared for with dignity in a calm and peaceful environment, she gently lost her spark. 

One day her family asked the hospice team if there was a possibility for her to go home. We arranged a family meeting the following day with our patient in the centre of assorted family and staff members and started discussing this. What initially was a glimmer of an idea started to take shape. We explained what sorts of tasks would need to be done: toileting, medications, repositioning, washes. You could see the family listening to this idea that felt enormous and intimidating: wanting it to blossom but afraid that they might not be able to manage. As a team, we also felt apprehensive. Would the family be able to respond quickly enough with pain relief? Would they manage overnight? Would they become too tired? The staff at the hospice work in shifts, whereas families caring for loved ones at home are not able to “go home to rest”. 

Perhaps we were overly protective though. 

The day came. The ambulance was booked, the family had been trained in how to care for her, the equipment was ready at home and the medications were waiting at the pharmacy to be picked up. We reviewed the patient in the morning: she was very tired and sleepy. Again, as a team, we felt that anxiety. Should we move her now or was it too late? In my mind, I went back to the family meeting and remembered how our patient’s whole body language changed when we came to the conclusion that we should try getting her home. It was like she finally breathed out and a sense of peace and contentment came over her. I could see a glimmer of that spark again. We decided she should go home. 

Hospice has a 24/7 telephone advice and support service, which the family used to answer any questions and to reassure them once she got home. They were feeling quite overwhelmed but pleased that they had her home. One of the hospice community palliative care nurses visited them at home the following day. Our patient was in her room overlooking her beautiful garden surrounded by her family. During the conversations, she was chipping in and smiling. The spark was back. 

Dr Katie Weatherstone 

We at Hospice want to wish all our many donors, volunteers, supporters, and shoppers all the best for the end-of-year celebrations. Don’t forget we have a fabulous summer raffle – you can buy online or in our shops and you can do all your Christmas shopping in our shops – a one-stop-shop experience, it all helps as a nation to remain sustainable and for us to be able to provide palliative care to all who need it free of charge. 

All the best 

Dr Flora Gilkison 

CEO 

Hospice Southland 

Dr Flora Gilkison