Lisa’s story

Making the best of every day

Lisa Nolan is a palliative medicine consultant, working with our inpatient and Hospice at Home teams, based at Peace Hospice in Watford.  

Her first association with Rennie Grove Peace was as a junior doctor – working with the inpatient and Hospice at Home teams during her training. 

After working alongside the community nurses and seeing the support they were able to provide to patients and families 24/7, Lisa was struck by the difference between this way of working and other places she had worked during her training. This prompted her to return to Rennie Grove Peace when she finished her training and she has been in her current role for three years. 

Getting to know people on a personal level

“My choice of medical speciality is one that tends to a bit of a mood-changer whenever I’m asked ‘what do you do?’ in social situations! 

“But the reason I love what we do is, we don’t simply talk about symptoms and illness, we get to know each person and their full and interesting lives. We always find out what matters to them, so we can support them to get the most from every day. I love to hear stories about how a patient met their partner, what they’ve enjoyed doing during their life or how they borrowed some nursing home residents to be witnesses at their wedding!  

“When visiting patients at home it’s lovely to be treated to a guided tour of their self-landscaped gardens or admire the galleries of family photos that line their walls.  

“This unique relationship also allows for a bit more banter – whether that is the all-too-frequent critique of my pillow arranging skills or a running joke with a specific patient and their family. 

“I have also been able to see the impact our care has from the other side, when a family friend of mine was cared for as an inpatient at Peace Hospice. This experience allowed me to really experience the necessity of someone being there, just at the right time, as well as continuing to look after those they leave behind. 

Helping to build lasting memories

“People often think that working in hospice care must be depressing. But it’s quite the opposite. In my job, I am so lucky to be in the privileged position of meeting someone at a point in the life when time is so very precious. We’re often involved in helping a patient plan to make precious memories such as a trip to the beach or a jaunt in their prized car. 

“For some people a trip out or a special event may not be possible but we can help their family to make their room feel like home, we can welcome their pets to visit them or we can prepare a meal that’s tailored to them as an individual. This is what makes hospice care different and is why it’s such a privilege to work with patients and families to help them make the best of every day.”