Hospiscare Will Fortnight 9-20 May

Saddened and upset by discovering her dad died alone in a bare, clinical hospital room, Jennifer Turner has included local charity Hospiscare in her Will.

Here she tells how this simple act has helped her, knowing she’s enabling other local people to face death with dignity, while supported by their family and end of life experts.

Jennifer’s story: “My dad died 30 years ago, aged 62. He was alone in a hospital room as there was no specialist end of life care. My mum was in a separate room and the rest of the family had to go home."

Now Jennifer has seen the care provided at Hospiscare’s Searle House Hospice in Exeter and wants others to have the very best care at the most difficult time of their life. When my dad died there were no hospices, and I don’t remember there being an offer of any kind of end of life care.

"I can remember it, even though it’s such a long time ago. It was on the night of November 5 and we were watching the fireworks, we had family and friends in his room, until eventually we had to go home and only my mum was allowed to stay and she was in a separate room. He died at 12.25am in a hospital room.

"The room was clinical, with a bed and a cabinet and unlike the hospice no warmth.

"As the years have gone by you realise that hospice services are available and that things are now so different – the Exeter hospice has floral decorations, there are paintings on the walls, the meal trays are beautifully dressed, there are family rooms where you can stay with the patient, patients celebrate birthdays with parties, balloons, cake.

"People do not need to die alone. I feel it’s so important that people get this service. It’s good to think there will be a lot of people who will pass away in a comfortable, warm, environment. It’s also about the after care that Hospiscare provides for loved ones. When dad died my mother’s doctor visited just a few times.

"There was nowhere else to go and no one to share the pain with. Hospiscare has an excellent team of trained bereavement volunteers who support people for as long as they need it. My mum never really got over dad’s death. I think if she had had better support it might have made a big difference to her. When dad died the hospital nurses were so good with the resources available to them – after all the purpose of a hospital is to get better.

"I’ve already made a Will but realised I needed to update it as I’m living with my partner Andy. We kept talking about Wills for a couple of years but never got around to it. But last year I heard about Hospiscare Will Fortnight and that was the ideal opportunity to sort out our Wills and recognise Hospiscare at the same time. I felt relieved we had finally done it.

"When we sat down and talked about it, we realised how complicated and messy it would be if we didn’t make a Will. I saw the complications which arose when my very elderly relatives failed to make a Will.”

Amanda Rainford, Partner at Trowers & Hamlins said: “This is an ideal opportunity to stress the importance of having an updated Will, and I am delighted that we are supporting Hospiscare again – in the past as Stones and now as Trowers & Hamlins.

“Hospiscare is a superb local charity which does excellent work – it is a pleasure to be able to help them make the most of Will Fortnight and we hope that as many people as possible will take advantage of this opportunity to ensure their final wishes are met.”

To find out more about Hospiscare Will Fortnight, May 9-20, when local solicitors give their services free in return for a donation, call Elizabeth on 01392 688020 or email e.bevan@hospiscare.co.uk Or go to www.hospiscare.co.uk/fundraising Whittons Auctions is kindly sponsoring the event.