Meghan’s story

Meghan Mathieson recently joined Arthur Rank Hospice as a Trustee. She kindly shared her story about the care her grandmother received – which first introduced her to hospice care and what it means to have a good death.

“Sharing my grandmother’s experience of the Arthur Rank Hospice is something hugely important to me. Until then, I’d never stepped foot in a hospice before. I had no idea what to expect, what it would be like, or how we would feel. But from the moment we arrived on that cold December evening, I knew things would be okay.

We were greeted by warm and friendly staff and taken into a calm and dimly lit room. We were asked questions, simple but really important questions about what my grandmother liked, what she would have wanted, if she’d want to be talked to, what music she might want to listen to, things that we hadn’t been asked along the journey before. We knew that leaving that evening, my grandmother would be okay, that she’d be cared for and looked after, and her wishes and dignity respected.

Up until that point, I’d never truly understood what it meant to have a good death, why so much emphasis was placed on making every moment count. This is something that I can hand on my heart say that all staff at the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity want to do for their patients and for the people that are there.

We awoke on Christmas morning to a small stocking having been left by my grandmother’s bed full of little presents and gifts, completely unnecessary but completely overwhelming and wonderful at the same time.

The last moments that we spent with her as a family were truly wonderful. This is not something that you would expect from people’s last moments, but it was an experience that we had at the Arthur Rank Hospice. When we look back at the time we spent there with her, with the staff and the way in which we were treated by everybody, it’s truly fond memories.”

You can view the video version of Meghan’s story on YouTube here.