In Memory

My Mother, Carole Ann Blackmore, decided that she wanted no further proactive treatment in March 2020, and we were referred to Forest Holme and the palliative care team.

Initially things did not change much, but we all knew what was coming and Mum’s home-care specialist palliative nurse, Hazel Mack, made sure we had all the information we needed at our fingertips; most important of all was the 24/7 number to call to speak to someone at the hospice whenever we needed to.

Mum was first admitted to the hospice to balance the meds and strengthen her up a bit. She was incredibly impressed with the care she received from the calm and efficient staff as well as the homely atmosphere of the hospice. Once back home things settled back into a nice rhythm, but the 24-hour helpline continued to be invaluable. It is amazing how much more in control you feel when you know there will be a calming voice on the phone anytime you need to talk through questions about medication or general care.

One such call happened after an accidental overdose. The ambulance crew arrived swiftly and with the best intentions were determined to rush Mum to Poole General Hospital. Mum was distressed at the prospect of going anywhere other than Forest Holme. A quick phone call to the Forest Holme team and things were arranged. The ambulance was diverted, Mum arrived safely and within a couple of hours was relaxed and happy once more. Despite the presence of Covid, the team at Forest Holme encouraged visiting and supplied any PPE that we were missing. Any questions were met with as much or as little information as was needed. Care was given to every one of us, not just Mum. Mum died peacefully at home (in February 2021), something I am sure would not have happened without the ongoing support of the team at Forest Holme.

My wife and I would like to extend our thanks to the whole team that looked after us all so well. We hope our donation of £999 helps the Hospice to continue giving excellent care to those who need it. For me, Forest Holme really was our 4th 999 Emergency Service.