When Lizzie’s Mum came home from hospital, we were there to help Lizzie and her siblings care for Betty. Here’s what Lizzie says about the difference we made.

“Our lovely Mother of 94 years sadly passed away in July this year. She had been ill on and off for a while, and began to go downhill just before the summer.

When someone you love is dying, it’s a mentally challenging time. There’s a lot of pressure on family members to make the right decisions. We didn’t want mum to go to hospital. We knew she was at the end of her life, and she wouldn’t want to spend her last days on a hospital ward.

So Mum came home and we took it in turns to sit with her. But we’re not medically trained. Even things like helping her up or turning her over in bed were scary – I worried we might hurt her or break a bone. It gets quite stressful for the family, not sleeping, worrying constantly, not knowing how to help.

Then Longfield arrived. You gave us so much support and reassurance. We could ask the care team anything – no question is off limits. The last three weeks of Mum’s life were difficult, but having the nurses come in twice a day to turn her, and change her and make her comfortable was amazing.

The whole team was fantastic. It lifted a huge weight from our shoulders knowing we could rely on their care, every single day. Their jobs must be very stressful but they were always cheerful and Mum always looked more peaceful after they had visited.

The day Mum died, your carers were so kind. They treated her with such care and respect, even putting a flower with her after they had cleaned her up. Everything they did was so lovely. Your care made such a difference to all of us. Thank you.”

When you support Longfield, you’re helping us reach more families across Gloucestershire with urgent care. You can support us here this Hospice Care Week.