Providing care for Jean
Jean was diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder in August 2019. The cancer then moved to her liver, and due to other health conditions, she was unable to have any treatment. Jean was cared for by Rennie Grove before the merger with Peace Hospice Care that formed Rennie Grove Peace.
Her daughter, Libby, tells her mum’s story:
“Mum was adamant she wanted to stay at home, but it was hard work for us to keep her there. She was getting frustrated, because she didn’t want Dad, me, or my sisters, to care for her. It was a relief for Mum when the Rennie Grove Hospice at Home team came in, as she knew it took the pressure off us.
“It was a huge help for Dad, as he could just call if he was worried about Mum. A couple of times it looked like she was in a lot of pain and so he rang the Rennie Grove Hospice at Home Team, and they always came quickly. It was such a relief for us that her pain was being managed.
“The nurses and carers were so helpful and genuine. They treated Mum so well and made her comfortable. They arranged a hospital bed, air mattress and a commode for Mum. They even organised for Dad to sleep in the same room as her. Carers came in every morning and evening to wash and dress her and change her nightwear.
“When we had questions, they answered them fully and sympathetically. It came across that they really did care about Mum, and us as her family.
“After Mum died, the Rennie Grove team helped us organise the funeral directors, which really helped. We just had to choose a funeral director, and Rennie Grove arranged for them to take Mum to the funeral parlour. They also organised for the Doctor to come and sign the papers to say Mum had passed.
“We could not fault the Rennie Grove team in any way. They were brilliant right from the start. We feel so grateful that Mum was looked after so well in the last few weeks of her life.”
