Jan's story

Jan’s first experience of the Hospice was back in 2009, when her mother received end of life care. Following a diagnosis of COPD, Jan was admitted to Incare herself.  We caught up with her to chat about the care her late mother received, and how the Hospice is supporting her to return home.

Originally from Knottingley, former special needs teacher, Jan, married her husband Kevin, in 2008. She lit up explaining that the pair met by chance at a local pub. Jan had taken her cousin out to cheer her up, and Kevin was supposed to be meeting someone else.  They met by ‘accident’ and have now been happily married for eight years. Jan describes Kevin as ‘wonderful.’

Talking about her late mother, Jan tells us about her experience of the Hospice from back in 2009.

“When my mum came in, my only concern was getting her home because we knew she didn’t have very long  and she wanted to die at home. I didn’t have a lot of time to be thinking about it as a place or the staff or anything like that.

“I was very impressed then. What impressed me the most at that point, it was a Bank Holiday weekend and I wanted my mum to come home so she could be with me. They bent over backwards to get things in place. Bank Holiday was on the Monday, they said to me on the Thursday or Friday if she didn’t come out soon, they wouldn’t be able to move her. It was a major thing, so they got her home.”

Admitted to the Hospice for symptom management for her COPD, Jan explains how the Hospice has supported her to get the treatment she so urgently needs.

“At home I had a nebulizer, nothing except inhalers. A respiratory nurse referred me after a spell in hospital; they were really surprised I hadn’t had treatment. I just plodded on with the nurses at the doctors and the inhalers.’

“This is the first time I’ve had oxygen, they’re going to see Kevin tomorrow about oxygen at home and are getting everything in hand for me to go home. In here I’ve had oxygen all the time; it makes me feel a lot better.”

Whilst on Incare, Jan has had Reki, performed by one of our complementary therapists. Describing her sessions she said;
“It was lovely, it’s like I could do with it all the time. It’s so relaxing. I can’t recall that she ever actually touched me; I just felt the warmth coming from her. “

Reflecting on how her experiences are different now, to when she first came to the Hospice with her mother, Jan said;
”When it came to my turn to come in, it was a different thing because it had changed. People used to think this is where you came to die, well it isn’t, and if it is - it’s not a bad thing. I’m going home. First of all there’s nothing to worry about because the place is comfortable and peaceful and everyone is lovely and bend over backwards to make everything how it should be. I feel comfortable. I feel safe.”