“Mum moved into The Hospice of St Francis on 21st November 2022 for pain management, and stayed there until she passed away on 3rd December. In the weeks before, we were trying to manage everything at home -  co-ordinating crisis teams who didn’t speak to each other, chasing paperwork and medication, between GPs and hospitals, and juggling endless logistics when all we really wanted was to be with Mum.

Then the Hospice at Home team stepped in. They saw the full picture - what Mum needed, and what we were trying so hard to hold together - and gently helped us realise she needed more support than we could give on our own. They got her pain under control, listened to her wishes, and arranged for her to move into the hospice.

From the moment we arrived at the Hospice, we got something we hadn’t had in a long time: time together, as a family. As her 23-year-old daughter who had become her full-time carer - giving injections, setting alarms, answering calls in the night - I got to just be her daughter again. We watched our favourite films (The Devil Wears Prada), shared ice lollies (specially bought because Mum asked), laughed, cried, and sat together in peace. The hospice gave us two precious weeks. They let me stay by her side every night, made us meals, and looked after not just Mum, but all of us. They welcomed everyone Mum loved - friends, family, even our dogs. Nothing was ever too much trouble.

There’s one moment I’ll never forget. One afternoon, as Mum was more sleepy, she opened her eyes and saw me, my brother, Dad, Nan, her brother, brother-in-law - and the dogs - all around her. She smiled and said, “Wow, this is lovely. I just feel like we’re all at home.” Then she gently closed her eyes again, still smiling. That’s all we could have ever wished for — and we will never stop being thankful.”