For Marion, whose mum and dad were both cared for by Birmingham Hospice, ensuring her parents felt comfortable at the hospice was her main priority.
Her dad, Derek, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2016 and was referred to the hospice. He only spent a few days on the Inpatient Unit before he died.
“The hospice was amazing; we were able to stay over and staff would make us cups of tea and dad felt comfortable there,” Marion said.
Her mum, Jean, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 2022 and was again referred to the hospice which was only a short walk away from where she lived in Bournville.
“Mum had wanted to stay at home for as long as possible,” Marion explained. “But as soon as she realised the care wouldn’t be the best from home, she didn’t mind coming to the hospice as she knew how good the care was that dad received.
“One thing I noticed as soon as we walked through the hospice doors was that absolutely everybody said hello to me.
“Walking into this place where you aren’t sure if your mum would walk back out is hard, but everyone was so kind.
“We cannot fault the care at all. The teams talked us through everything.”
While Jean stayed on the ward, the hospice teams found out it was her birthday and wanted to organise a party for Jean’s friends and family.
“They gave her a bath, put her clothes on and threw a little party for mum in the conservatory,” Marion said.
“It was their idea to do the party and it was just lovely; they really go the extra mile for you.
“Everyone at the hospice was absolutely wonderful to her.
“You can tell everybody is made to feel special and you are not just a case number; mum was Jean and her whole family were made to feel welcome.
“Every day they would put mum’s lippy on and her face cream. They treated everyone like real people.
“Mum was so happy and relaxed there.”
