A nurse at Leicester’s LOROS Hospice who treated her patient “with the same care and love as you would do your own family member” has been recognised with the first DAISY award in a hospice setting in the UK.
The DAISY award is widely used to thank nurses across the NHS by patients, carers and families, but has never been awarded before at a hospice. It was introduced by LOROS Director of Care Jane Pickard as a way of recognising the charity’s nurses and the outstanding contribution they make.
Picture credit: LOROS
Chloe Webster has worked on the inpatient ward at LOROS for the past two years. She was nominated by Emma Bower, the daughter of a patient who was struck by the care and attention she gave her father at the end of his life.
Emma said: “There are so many reasons Chloe is special and will always hold a special place in our hearts. She was a huge part in our Dad’s last month with us which he spent in LOROS. From the moment we arrived Chloe took time to get to know my Dad, how he likes his cup of tea, his “interesting” sense of humour and just got him. She saw how special he was, how loved he was and treated him with the same care and love as you would do your own family member.
“We just knew that when we weren’t there he was with someone who truly cared and that meant so much. Dad had times when he was in LOROS where he was very anxious, scared and worried. I remember one day her calling me worried about him and his mood. Simply knowing that someone knew him so well that they would do that was so comforting. I also know that that night she sat with him while he was upset, just comforting him.
“She wasn’t just there when things were tough though, she made us and Dad laugh. Dad truly had a great relationship with her and I feel that is so, so important when you are at end of life. He knew he was looked after and cared for.
“The difference that makes to us as family members is huge, not only did it provide us with reassurance that we hadn’t had for a long time when we couldn’t be with him (and helped us actually sleep some nights for the first time in what felt like forever!) but it has brought us comfort during the hard times of our grief.
“We know that because of Chloe and other nurses at LOROS that the last 5 weeks of Dad’s life he was not alone, he was loved, he was cared for.”
Chloe received her award from LOROS matron Michelle Clark and Jane Pickard, Director of Care at LOROS.
Chloe said: “I’m speechless. It’s a privilege to care for people at the end of their lives and I love my job, so I don’t feel I deserve an award, so to be the first hospice nurse to receive a DAISY award is just amazing.”
Patients, families and carers are invited to thank their nurse by nominating them via loros.co.uk/DAISY
The DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. During his hospitalisation, they deeply appreciated the care and compassion shown to Patrick and his entire family. When he died, they felt compelled to say thank you to nurses in a very public way.
