Hospice Care Week: Hazel's story

As part of Hospice Care Week (6th-12th October), Hazel wants to highlight the vital role hospice care plays in the community, helping people live well, wherever they choose.

One of the people Hazel’s team has supported is 74-year-old Michael Russell, from Binfield Heath near Henley on Thames, who lives with bronchiectasis and heart failure, and a recent skin cancer diagnosis.

Thanks to Sue Ryder’s Hospice at Home team, occupational therapy and physiotherapy support, Michael has regained enough strength and independence that he no longer needs ongoing care.

Michael said, “I had been going downhill for a couple of years, I’d gone from nearly 14 stone to about 6 stone 4lbs. I was so weak. I was on permanent oxygen and in bed for most of the day. It was a real struggle. We were given a choice of Sue Ryder, a nursing home, or community-led palliative care, and we chose Sue Ryder because I would rather be at home.”

“I got lots of help from Sue Ryder every day. The Occupational Therapist (OT) did a full assessment of my equipment needs, so I have a perching stool, a stool for the shower and a set of wheels to help me outside. I had an electric bed and lots of different equipment delivered.”

He added, “Obviously, my wife has supported me, but she is severely sight-disabled, so she is not able to drive anywhere, and we live in quite a rural area. I wanted to keep going so I could look after my wife, and the help from Sue Ryder has been brilliant.”

Today, Michael no longer uses a home oxygen concentrator, occasionally using a portable oxygen cylinder if he gets really breathless.

“I can get up now and clean my teeth, and shower with a little bit of help. I had thought it would be one way for me, but now the days of taking morphine every day are long behind me. It’s being able to live a semi-normal life again. Sue Ryder doesn’t just come in and pay lip service; they really care about your welfare.”

Hazel, who started her nurse training 45 years ago, moved into palliative care 18 years later, said: "The Hospice at Home team provides the same level of expertise, dedication, comfort, and care a patient would receive in a hospice.

“Our care is entirely centred on what they want and need – we provide support that makes a tangible difference to their lives.

“It means a lot to people to be able to stay at home - especially to those with complex needs who might never have thought it possible,” she adds.

Keen to challenge myths about palliative care, Michael’s wife, Brenda, said, “Michael has had so much support. People hear the words palliative care, but it’s not a death sentence, and I think that’s very important that people understand that it’s not necessarily the case.

Our eight-year-old grandson raised £1,000 for Sue Ryder recently. Even at that age, he realised what a help Sue Ryder can be.”

“People often say to me that it must be a very stressful, sad job, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, there are difficult times, but we are a supportive team, and there are smiles and laughs with the people we meet. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”