Posted 11/05/2021

Family Thank Swan's "Amazing" Carers

Swan’s dedicated Care and Support North team works in partnership with local authorities and clinical commissioning groups to deliver personalised care and support services to people of all ages, providing a range of community, disability and in-home support, including care.

Jo, a member of the Swan Care and Support Team shared how the team recently made a real difference to one of our elderly customers who needed end-of-life care, and their family:

At the beginning of March 2021, we carried out an initial assessment on Arnold*, an elderly 95-year-old gentleman who was being nursed through end-of-life care due to incurable cancer.

Arnold was an extremely private and religious man who would not allow family to provide care for him. During our first two visits, he declined all personal care. It was also hard to encourage him to let us engage in a care capacity, only allowing us to provide drinks and have an all-important chat.

It was quickly agreed within the team that Arnold would benefit from continuous care from a few carers whom he could get to know and begin to trust during his four calls a day. Arnold was offered a hospice bed two days after his care began but declined, as it bought back too many painful memories of his wife who had passed away there six years previously.

During our short time with him, Arnold began to trust the few carers going in each day and even allowed them to assist with telephone calls between himself and the hospice co-ordinator, district nurses and his GP, which to him was a burden taken off his very distressed family.

Gradually this lovely man allowed us to wash and change his pyjamas daily and provide drinks, and he began to look forward to their visits and chats.

Unfortunately, his pain became unbearable for him and he selflessly accepted a hospice bed so as not to put his family through any more trauma and distress. He was admitted to the hospice on the Friday morning and sadly passed away the next day.

His daughter contacted me to let us know and was hugely grateful for the support and compassion Swan carers had shown towards her father, in addition to the "amazing" support shown towards the family. She added how Swan’s support had enabled them to spend quality time together before he passed away.

I think I speak for all carers involved when I say that although an extremely sad situation, Arnold was able to gain that all important trust in us and allowed us to make him as comfortable as possible in his last few days.

The last conversation I had with Arnold was about how proud he was of his grandson, who was away on placement during his final week, and how he wanted him to know this. I was honoured to be able to pass this on to his grandson, who was very grateful.

This is just one example of how Swan’s Care and Support team cares about every customer, making sure that everyone has somewhere to feel at home – whether helping them remain in their own home or in offering assistance in our supported living accommodation. You can find out more about these services here.