June had lived with Lewy Body dementia for five years before her health started to worsen. Her daughter, Jules, knew her mum wanted to die at home, but the thought of transferring from her Care Home in Stevenage, overwhelmed her. Fortunately, Jules contacted our Admiral Nurse, Lucy Cosgrove.
“She was wonderful,” said Jules. “She explained what we needed to do, what support was available and she kept in touch daily while co-ordinating the process of getting mum home.”
As well as the practical support, Lucy arranged for the Hospice at Home team to care for June. Jules said they treated her mum with dignity and patience, but also, described how relaxed she felt when they were there:
“They reassured me and supported me too. They sat with mum so I could sleep. The set up was perfect and they brought so much to her final days.”
June died on Valentine’s Day with her daughter by her side, in the home she had loved and lived in for 58 years. Following June’s death, Lucy has continued to support Jules and her dad, who also has dementia. She guided Jules in how to talk to her dad about his loss.
“He didn’t understand what was happening because of his dementia,” said Jules. “So Lucy’s knowledge has been invaluable.”
Lucy’s role as a specialist nurse, and her close working with Care Homes across North Hertfordshire, means she introduces people to the Hospice’s services who may typically miss out. With one of the key goals of the charity’s new 10-year strategy being to open our doors to more people locally, her role is pivotal.
Lucy adds: “Dementia is not always recognised as a terminal illness and is misunderstood by many. It is important that people with dementia and their carers can access hospice services - the Admiral Nurse can support and alleviate distress at what can be a challenging time and enable people with dementia and their carers to feel supported at the end of life.
“The aim is to ensure that people living with dementia and their families in the North Hertfordshire have the best possible care at the end of their life.”
