Sisters Collette and Liz called felt they had nowhere left to turn when they contacted Lucy, our nurse who specialises in dementia care. But the call changed everything.
Even with advanced dementia, Elizabeth, a retired primary school teacher and mum of five, welcomed all her visitors with a cheery hello, smile and a cuddle. That was until last November, when her health suddenly declined.
Her daughter, Collette, contacted our Admiral Nurse, Lucy Cosgrove. Together with our consultant, Lucy put together a plan for Elizabeth, contacting the people involved in her care, tackling the health concerns they had and making arrangements to bring her into the Hospice.
Sadly, despite Lucy pressing for urgent support, Elizabeth died within 48 hours. But Collette and her sister say the support Lucy gave them in that time transformed the last few days they had with their beloved mum, a woman they described as "cheeky, strong, funny" and someone who always cared for everyone else.
Looking back at the last few months of their mum's life, Collette explained:
"We felt we were getting nowhere, that the changes we could see in mum were being dismissed. We felt a bit like they thought that because she had dementia and was in a care home she didn't matter."
Frustrated, the sisters admitted when they first called Lucy, they weren't sure what difference it would make.
"But Lucy listened," said Collette. "After me waffling in her ear, she said 'this is what we need to do; I'm going to do this for you'. And she did it."
"She talked to me, reassured me, and it was the first time we had a clear answer about how mum was. It lifted our spirits and gave us hope."
Last month, they visited Lucy to hand her a cheque - money they had raised in their mum's memory to say thank you - and to meet Lucy in person for the first time.
"It's been brilliant to meet the kind, supportive person we spoke to on the phone," said Collette. "We didn't realise there was an Admiral Nurse working for the Hospice. It's something that really could benefit people to know about, so we want to help get the word out."
