The last time I ever said it, he said I love you too
THE impact of knowing your loved one has a terminal illness is devastating and can impact the whole family.
Rouse Hill
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THE impact of knowing your loved one has a terminal illness is devastating and can impact the whole family.
The pain is lessened if around-the-clock care and support is available for the family.
It is here the new community-based palliative care service is worth its weight in gold, according to a resident who cared for her ailing grandfather in The Ponds.
Silver Chain, a free service offered by the Western Sydney Local Health District, helped Ms Jones and her family make her grandfather Jack Samuel Wrigley’s life more comfortable.
Ms Jones said her grandfather didn’t want to pass away in a hospital and with the help of her husband and the Silver Chain team, they became his carers at home.
“I was able to give my grandfather what he wanted and he got to pass away with dignity, thanks to the help of Silver Chain, Ms Jones said.
“The staff would help me bathe my grandfather, move him from the bed to the chair, told me how much to feed him and provided medication advice.
“Most importantly though, the nurses were so respectful to him.
“They spoke to him, they’d say hello and reassure him. They didn’t just talk to me — they acknowledged him too.”
“Sometimes they were there all day. You can have up to three visits a day.
“I also had a number I could call for assistance 24 hours, seven days a week.
“From start to finish their support was phenomenal. They were all really lovely people.”
Mr Wrigley died aged 92 in her home, holding her hand.
“I would always say to him, I love you, and he would say ‘I know’,” Ms Jones said.
“It was a personal joke. The last time I ever said it though, he said to me, ‘I love you too’.” Silver Chain staff were there to help her even after his death, she said.
“They came out first thing the next morning to help me wash and dress him for the undertaker,” Ms Jones said.
“They even rang me two or three times in the days and weeks after to ask how I was going.
“All these people were so amazing. In such a difficult time you want these kind of people around.
“It was just such a positive experience in one of the worst situations.
“I reckon you can just meet some people and you know they’re good people. This is how I felt with these people. I met about six different people and every single one of them had a pure soul.”
Western Sydney Local Health District’s partnership with the Silver Chain Group started last July.
Details: http://bit.ly/2BY4Q80