Christmas can be such a wonderful time. A time for friends and family, love and laughter. But for some people Christmas can also be a difficult time that makes the pain of separation or loss harder to bear.
Ann is one of those people after both of her parents said their final goodbyes in the month of December. Both of Ann’s parents also died in hospital, but sadly that’s where the similarities end.
Ann’s father passed away like many others do, on a hospital ward, surrounded by strangers with nothing but a curtain to provide them and their family with peace and privacy in their final days.
But Ann’s Mam was luckier as she was able to spend her final weeks in what The Mater Public Hospital calls a Family Comfort Care Suite.
The Family Comfort Care Suite is two adjoining rooms where families are able to care for their loved one right up until the end and it includes everything a patient and their family need so they can focus on spending precious time together.
The suite allowed Ann’s mam to experience the compassion, care, and dignity we all deserve in our final days and hours. But neither Ann or the Mater Foundation want it to come down to luck.