Roger Renders is being visited at his home by our community nurse specialists and our Virtual Ward healthcare assistants, who provide personal care for Roger and give support to his wife Di.

His nurse Debbie took note of Roger's wish and Virtual Ward healthcare assistants June and Jason jumped at the chance to help out. Di arranged for their friends, who they hadn’t seen for five months, to be at their favourite pub when Roger arrived.

Although difficult for Roger to speak, he called it an “enjoyable experiment that worked and will work again” and is already looking forward to the next time. For Di too, it was a rare trip out and just the lift she needed. 

With Roger sitting beside her in their Rowhedge home, Di shares their story…

They phone in the evening and even if I just need someone to talk to, they'll come out and have a chat with me to make sure I'm OK. One of the days I was really upset and they were just wonderful sitting and talking with me for 10 minutes, and I felt so much better. 

Plus it's good to have the SinglePoint helpline as well. That has been brilliant because if I have any concerns about Roger, I've only got to phone and it's sorted. Fantastic. We used it one night quite late and they came out around midnight time because Roger was a bit confused.

I've had complementary therapy as well. I had four massages at the Joan Tomkins Centre and they phoned me up the other day and put me in for another four which I'll be having soon. I was told I need to do something once a week for myself, so that really helped and it's absolutely wonderful. 

So we've got amazing support and I couldn't do it without them. I couldn't.

Roger went into the Hospice and after a night he decided he wanted to go home again and that’s when Virtual Ward began visiting us.

He’s said now all care is to be at home because that is where he wants to be and that is where he is comfy. It’s all written down in the My Care Choices Record which was easy to fill in.

Hospice in the Home nurse Phiona, Roger and Di, healthcare assistant June

They all have a sense of humour, that's what I like about them because you can really have a laugh and a joke. We just have such a laugh and that's good for me as well. We can't get out, so I don't see that many people. We have a couple of friends who come and sit with Roger if I need to go shopping or whatever but we don't get out a lot.

The Virtual Ward people always have a smile on their face, always, and that is amazing. So don't be afraid to ask for help. I think people hear Hospice and think, oh dear, this is it. I didn't realise until we were referred just what an amazing support network they can give you.

Roger is my world, he's my absolute everything and I will do anything for him. He is my absolute rock. I lost my son when he was 17 in a car accident and Roger was the one that got me through. Without him, there would be nothing so he is my absolute everything. We're a team, aren't we, darling? We are, we're a team.