Ayrshire Hospice – Fiona’s Story
Patient story for the Hospice day services
Why?
The Ayrshire Hospice want to bring attention to their Your Day, Your Way programme. A twelve-week self-management centre, where patients with life-limiting conditions can come to relax. Working with the Ayrshire Hospice was such a delight. It has been wonderful to hear that this series has had such a profound effect, and has been well received by sponsors, supporters, and staff. The patient and their family are the main focus for all care and support provided.
Find out more here
What?
The Ayrshire Hospice is a charity who provide care to those with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, neurological conditions, heart failure and lung disease. They intend to improve the quality of life and bring out a sense of belonging for those in their care. Above all, the charity focus on helping adults to live their best lives for as long as they can. Therefore, they attend to all aspects and troubles the patients may be having, from alleviating pain and symptoms to allowing people to stay social and emotionally connected. The Ayrshire Hospice also offers support to friends and family of the patient during their illness, and following bereavement. Care from them can be provided in a number of locations, such as in the patients own home or in purpose-built daycare units.
How?
The Ayrshire Hospice contacted TMC with the project of sharing their patients’ stories with the world. The idea was to produce a high-quality video of their experiences. We were introduced to the ‘Your day, Your way’ programme, in which patients are invited to attend to learn coping strategies, find friendship, exercise, participate in workshops, and more. As a result of this, it brings the patient closer to the people around them and provides a real sense of purpose. After our time there, we felt moved and inspired by what we heard. The effect that the Hospice had was clear to see in everyone we spoke to. Because of this, TMC offered to feel this charity has to be shared. This is Fiona’s story of how the Ayrshire Hospice changed her life.
"We are delighted with the results from The Marketing Café. They have captured the culture and tone of our brand perfectly and present a compelling case as to why clients should choose us. We see a real return through this medium and look forward to further collaboration."
Richard Page, Marketing Director | Countrywide
Crew members
Ian Palmer – Producer/Director/Editing
Paul Russel – DoP
Video transcript
Fiona: What I enjoy most about coming here is that from the very beginning, from the car stopping at the door to bring me here and coming in that front door, I wanted to continue and go on like Groundhog Day.
Ayrshire Hospice – Your Day Your Way | Fiona’s Story
Fiona: My name is Fiona and I’ve been coming to the hospice now, that’ll be my fifth week. I have asthma and COPD, I also have multiple problems with my heart and I’m at the end of life. My GP was aware that I was feeling isolated, she suggested the hospice and I immediately said yes. I’ve always had quite a positive feeling about my future, whatever that may be. What I was looking for, I believed that the hospice could give me.
How has Your Day Your Way helped?
Fiona: Oh it’s been absolutely and utterly wonderful. It’s given me friends, which I felt immediately, the friendship from both patients and staff. It’s given me a feeling of belonging because people understand how I feel. It’s also given me a purpose and respect that death is nothing to be frightened of, it’s a part of living, and we talk about it, we discuss it in no way a morbid way – I’ve never felt anything morbid about the hospice. It’s like a big round of madness in here, you know you don’t have time to eat your lunch because you’re too busy laughing about something.
Workshops and other activities
Fiona: The workshops that we go to are, they’re really varied. I think the most useful part if you were to put them all in a collective other than as lots of different workshops is the fact that we all share information. You’d be surprised at how different we all perceive things and how one person negative is another person positive. We had a disco, that might sound mad, you’ve got 8 people that are in a. Room having a disco. We were all sitting in a chair staff were up dancing, we had 1970’s and 80’s music because that’s our age range.
The employed and voluntary staff
Fiona: The staff are amazing, absolutely and utterly amazing. They go to the end of the earth and back to make sure that you’re okay and that you’re happy. They’re there in the moment, so if you suddenly look a bit tired or anything they seem to be able to read that you need someone to talk to, you know if you’re a wee bit quieter than normal, or louder than normal, whatever and seem to be able to understand that a wee ten minutes is maybe all you need to feel better, more like yourself. We’re all treated as individuals and under no circumstances are we treated like sick people which can only be positive because lots of people after they know your condition look at you as if you’re pathetic. That doesn’t happen here, no way that would happen here. They make you feel normal and human and alive. They make you feel alive.
Your Day Your Way
To find out more please contact a member of the Solas team at the Ayrshire Hospice on 01292 269200
