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DonateLinda's Story
In February 2021 my mum Joan had been in and out of hospital. Her health then deteriorated to the point that myself and my brother moved in to provide around the clock care. In March, the hospital put us in touch with Compton who came to visit us. Before they came we had been independently managing her care; this included documenting medication, personal care and staying awake at night due to her changing needs. We were both exhausted but keen to do all we could for our mum who had given us everything she could.
We had support from the council care team but my mum struggled with the frequent changes in carers and the short nature of their visits. I frequently reached out to get more support and found this really difficult. We felt alone and that we just had to do what we could to fulfil our mum’s wish to be at home with family at the end of her life. It was a highly stressful environment as our family worked to care for her and deal with losing her.
When Compton came to see us it was like a breath of fresh air, everything changed. We felt that the hospice team really cared about my mum and that we were now going to get the help we so needed. They agreed to provide a night sitter to allow us to get some much needed rest. This allowed us to be more alert in the day to spend the last 2 weeks with our mum in a more settled way. All of a sudden we got to be her children again, got to sit with her, talk when she was able and felt that the pressure to know what was ‘normal’ in palliative care was taken off of us. I cannot begin to explain the relief of knowing that someone was downstairs with her, keeping her safe, who would come and get us at the slightest change.
The Compton sitter not only gave us the opportunity to rest at night but also gave us information about the stage of care my mum was at. The sitters gave us clear and considerate advice when they noticed changes to suggest the end was near and this gave us better time to prepare. Before they arrived we were on edge every single day thinking that it was her last. Compton Care gave us time to cherish the final days. Nothing was too much trouble and the Compton team were incredibly supportive. They were not only there to support our mum but to also listen to us and to support our concerns. There is no easy way to prepare for or manage caring for a loved one at the end of their life, but Compton made it feel easier.
We cannot thank Compton enough for all that they did for us in that short time, almost a year later it is impossible to imagine having to go through such an ordeal without their kindness, support and unconditional air of calm.