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Families praise the ‘angels’ who bring respite and relief to homes with dignified end-of-life care
Families praise the ‘angels’ who bring respite and relief to homes with dignified end-of-life care Joan O’Neill says she is honoured to be with families during such a deeply personal and emotional time.
Photograph: Daragh McSweeney/Provision“My dad was in his mid 70s when he was diagnosed with late stage liver cancer four years ago,” says Aideen Power.
“He was always such a strong and independent man and he really hated being confined to bed and, in particular, one which was in a hospital. “So my brother suggested that he and I temporarily move to my parents’ house and help my mum look after him there for his remaining days.
We were advised that we could get nursing help and right from the moment our ‘night angel’, as we started to call her amongst ourselves, arrived, everything was a little bit better.
“She was so instinctively kind and supportive and treated my dad with so much respect and dignity – always talking to him and asking him permission before she administered anything. Each evening, she would gently but firmly tell us to go and get some sleep and said that if anything happened, she would come and get us.
It meant so much to be able to close our eyes and just crash out for a couple of hours, knowing that he was being looked after throughout the night. ” The Dublin woman says her father “only lasted five days” after coming home from hospital, but the night nurse “made the whole process easier to deal with”.
Moving from Dublin to Kerry: ‘We really noticed the lack of any noise, apart from the animals’Photo portrait of Katie Taylor aged 10: ‘You can see the steel in her eyes even then’ “Dad was communicative for the first couple of days after he came home from hospital, but then on the fourth day he didn’t wake up at all. That was particularly hard, as he had always been such a big personality and when he finally closed his eyes for the last time, that was the longest and hardest night.
“She had prepared us for the fact that this was probably the end and we all stayed up for the night. Again, the nurse was so kind to him and to all of us throughout the night. She made us tea, encouraged us to talk to him and explained what was happening at every stage.
Then, when he took his final breath, she was discreet and left us to grieve on our own, but was also close by when we needed her.
“She advised us on the next steps and helped us to come to terms with what had happened. It was such a heartbreaking experience, but I honestly think that if it wasn’t for her, it would have been much more difficult. There aren’t enough words to say how special she and all the others who do that job are. They really are special people.
” Una Leonard is also grateful for the presence of a night nurse.
“You don’t realise how important this service is until you need it for your own family,” she says. “My mam was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago and my family and I cared for her during this time. “When our night nurse, Anne, came through the doors during our mam’s final days, it was like an angel walked in. She provided much-needed respite and relief for our family when we needed it most.
We are so grateful to this service and for those who support the care that Night Nurses provide to families all around Ireland. ” Having worked as a nurse for 37 years, Joan O’Neill decided to make the shift to night nursing. Photograph: Daragh McSweeney/ProvisionNight Nursing service provides free, compassionate end-of-life care to cancer patients in their own homes, allowing them to spend their final days surrounded by loved ones.
“Most people with cancer want to spend their final nights at home, surrounded by loved ones,” says Nikki Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society. “Our night nurses provide expert overnight care and comfort, allowing patients to remain at home while giving family members the reassurance and rest they need. Behind every night of care is a family supported through one of life’s most difficult moments.
“It means a spouse can sit beside their loved one, children can be close to a parent, and families can spend meaningful time together in the place that matters most – home. ” The demand for Night Nursing remains critical as, every year in Ireland, almost 9,800 people die from cancer or cancer-related illnesses. So the public is urged to to help raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society’s Night Walk for Night Nurses campaign.
Joan O’Neill knows exactly what the job of a night nurse entails as she has been fulfilling the role for the past two years. Having worked as a nurse for 37 years, she decided to make the shift to night nursing. She says that although the role can be stressful, she is honoured to be with families during such a deeply personal and emotional time.
“It’s such a privilege. You’re entering someone’s home at the most sensitive time for both the patient and the family.
“They are allowing you in and trusting you to take care of their loved one while they might get a bit of rest. So it’s a very special, particular role which I haven’t had before as a nurse.
“Usually, we work from 11 o’clock at night until seven in the morning, or from five in the evening until 11pm – that’s the twilight shift. My role involves working in close conjunction with the palliative care team. I receive a handover from the palliative care clinical nurse specialist which contains the background of the family, their diagnosis and their current status, and any other relevant information.
“We have an extremely important relationship, as we depend on each other and we are very much part of a team. Of course, it can be a stressful job, but I rely on my experiences I’ve had over the years both at work and in my own life.
” Looking after patients and their families during an incredibly stressful time can take its toll on the night nurses and Joan, who lives in Cork but is originally from Kerry, says she makes sure to also look after herself outside of work.
“I am very active and as well as being in a swimming group, I also walk,” she says. “And on top of that, I’m in a singing group, I volunteer locally and I have many friends in different areas – some in nursing, others not. I just enjoy doing different activities.
“It can be a case of juggling life and family commitments , but because the Irish Cancer Society are very accommodating, you can select when you want to work. It is definitely a role for an experienced nurse because you’re dealing with a lot of complicated issues and heightened sensitivity for a lot of people. But for experienced nurses it’s really an enjoyable, rewarding role.
“The most positive part of the job is the sense of satisfaction of knowing that, if it’s the patient and family’s wish to stay at home in their final hours or days, in some small way, as a night nurse, my job is to facilitate that and to be a link to the palliative care team who we can call on at any time throughout the night. ”Should therapists be in therapy?
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