Audrey and Kyle’s Story

Our team of specialists work tirelessly to ensure that patients are comfortable, with many coming to us for a short stay to get pain and symptoms under control, allowing them to live well back in their own home and community.

Ahead of Hospice Care Week, which this year focuses on providing care that allows people to live outside of the hospice setting, we spoke to Audrey and Kyle, a Nana and grandson with a special bond.

Unfortunately, Audrey was diagnosed with a rare and complex form of cancer and given 6-12 months to live. When she was struggling in a care home after receiving her diagnosis, Kyle made a huge sacrifice at just 20 years old: adapting his home to suit Audrey’s needs and taking her home to live with him.

But when Audrey’s pain wasn’t manageable and the pair were both struggling, they came to Teesside Hospice to get things under control so that Audrey could enjoy the time she had left:

“I live in a one-bedroom flat and we didn’t have time to be looking for a house or bigger space so I just thought, the front room is now Nana’s bedroom. So we got that all set up, I got a wall with loads of family pictures and some nice ornaments. I did that to make it feel a bit more homely for her.

The reason why she came to live with me was because I didn’t want her to die in the care home, frankly, I didn’t want her to die uncomfortably. That’s exactly what she needed, to be out of there.

Palliative care could see that things weren’t right because I was speaking to them a lot and trying to get things sorted, and then they mentioned that Teesside Hospice might be beneficial, so she was put on the waiting list.

We had an appointment here and they were absolutely lovely. They were really, really nice and understanding, explained how it all works, explained that it’s nothing like a hospital or a care home.

We came for an assessment and were doing complementary therapies from that, then we had a chat with the nurses because we were struggling. I was struggling and so was Nana, with her mental health, so they said ‘right, we’ll try chase it up, get a bag ready just in case’, then later that evening they rang us to say there’s a bed available in the morning. So it was very, very quick – they saw that we were struggling and that we needed some support and they pushed.”

Being able to come to Teesside Hospice also meant that Audrey didn’t need to go into respite care for a short period of time when Kyle was going away to a family wedding, which he says worked out really well due to the flexibility and comfort the hospice provides:

“She was safe. Every single day they’re making adjustments and getting her comfortable, getting her pain meds right. They’ve made it very clear that she doesn’t need to suffer, just ask for help. They’re really caring and really understanding.

It’s been so much easier in here to get Nana’s pain managed. From the very first day things were getting sorted and every day there’s tweaks made. She’s so much more comfortable than what she was, and so much more calm.”

As well as staying in our In-Patient Unit, Audrey and Kyle have both utilised our wellbeing services, being given complementary therapy to help with their struggles. Kyle said: “The complementary therapy has helped me too, it’s really nice to just relax and have someone to talk to if you need it.”

During her time in the hospice, Audrey was focused on one goal: to get her pain under control enough to visit her brother and his family in Poland, with Kyle. 

“Things are now getting put in place for us and this hospice has helped massively, so much. I’m going to cherish this place in my heart for the rest of my life, I know I am. And I know that if I ever want to volunteer, this is the place I’d come.”