"Dad's final days in the Busselton Hospice"

We cannot sing the praises of the Busselton Hospice enough.

Dad had been at home on Palliative Care but eventually deteriorated to the point where it was too much for Mum, and so the doctor met with them and arranged for him to go into the hospice.  It was a decision that had a transformative effect on his final days with us.  Prior to that Dad had been bed bound at home with the occasional visitor and was understandably becoming depressed as his quality of life was going downhill. Once he was in the Hospice he was in a room that had lots of natural light, revolving volunteers and nurses, and to his great delight, a lovely big photo of Meelup Beach which was one of his favourite spots.

Getting a fresh environment gave him a second wind to the point where we thought he might rally a little.  Some issues from his childhood weighed heavily on his heart and mind, and the doctor arranged for a psychiatrist to visit him for a couple of sessions.  I can't stress enough what a difference the staff, volunteers, hospice environment and those sessions made.  He was able to resolve things in his heart and mind, and after a long chat with an old friend he confided he was ready to go.  He and his visitor then started telling each other dirty jokes and laughing so much that the staff closed the door to keep the noise down.

Hearing about his last afternoon helped us immensely, because early the next morning he suffered a stroke and was unresponsive before passing away at 3 am the following morning.  Even though he had been declining for so long it was still a shock when it happened, but we take great comfort knowing that he was so comfortable, at peace and ultimately got the exit he had hoped for instead of suffering even more.

Mum visited the hospice today with chocolates for the staff and had a nice chat with them and they talked about Dad.  Their genuine concern and funny stories about Dad really help.  The hospice staff and volunteers are a credit to the health system, and we wanted our thanks placed on the record.