Cancer patient Elaine D. turned to the counsellors at ellenor when she realised the stress and isolation caused by Covid was making her anxious and depressed.
Ask the average person what a ‘dream day’ in their role is, and you might hear a lot of different responses. It’s unlikely, however, that any will be as heartfelt and humbling as that of Tracy Down’s. Tracy works at our hospice and supports patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families: both at home, and from our inpatient and outpatient wards at Northfleet.
The tireless work of family support workers at our hospice has never been more paramount. Families dealing with demanding caring roles, life-limiting illness and bereavement now also have to contend with the isolation caused by Covid.
Here at ellenor we take our kitchen cleanliness very seriously. So, the catering team was overjoyed to receive the highest accolade from Food Safety and Hygiene inspectors – for the tenth year in a row.
Grief is a personal journey and people cope with it in many different ways. For Linda Rush, getting out in the fresh air helped her more than sitting down and talking about her feelings -- so she instigated a walking group for others who had been bereaved.
It wasn’t until her first placement, treating patients with cancer on an oncology ward as a student-nurse, that Nele saw a different side to nursing. “The focus wasn’t just on getting people better, but also ensuring that they had the quality of life – if not the quantity. I realised that this is something I wanted to do" Nele Bohn, Ward Sister at ellenor’s inpatient ward.
Operational Lead Chris Dyson talks about life on our Inpatient Ward at the hospice in Northfleet.
Seventy-four-year-old Sue Gray has spent her life looking after patients and their families – and the challenges of Covid have not deterred the retired nurse from reaching out to others. She lost her own husband to cancer 11 years ago, says: “Since lockdown I have been making about 14 calls every week, phoning people who would usually attend the bereavement group or the Carers Cuppa.”
I’d like to encourage you to sign up and take on a challenge like this for ellenor, to help make sure that patients and their families receive the same loving care and support that our family had. Whatever challenge you choose, stepping up for ellenor will change lives, including yours.
Ellenor hospice supports more than 3,000 families with terminal and life limiting conditions and their families in Kent and Bexley each year, also providing a dedicated financial support service.
September is traditionally the month where thousands of people come together for ellenor’s popular Twilight Walk, walking the streets of Gravesend to celebrate and remember someone special as well as to honour the work of ellenor’s staff and volunteers, who make a huge difference to thousands of lives every year.
If 13-year-old Liam could be summed up in four words they would be lively, loveable, confident and energetic.
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