The Butterfly Line Nurse was amazing speaking to the gentleman on the phone.

She spoke to him in such a calm compassionate manner, contacted his wife’s Macmillan nurse (while staying on the phone to him) to ask her to go round to the house straight away.

The Butterfly Line Nurse stayed on the phone with the gentleman just re-assuring him until the Macmillan Nurse arrived.

It was just so humbling to see and hear exactly how the Butterfly Line nurses help not only patients and families in the Hospice environment, but also when they are at home.

She was amazing!

Jacqui (63), who has cancer of the spine, was admitted into hospital on 30 October 2022, suffering from issues with her mobility and feeling generally very poorly. While she was there she underwent a number of tests, as well as a course of planned treatment and needed support to manage her pain.

Jacqui was transferred to Lindsey Lodge’s Butterfly Wing on 9 November after it was suggested by her Macmillan Nurse.

The Butterfly Wing is Lindsey Lodge’s new six-bedded Butterfly Wing supports patients like Jacqui, with nurse and therapy-led care from its Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), after being discharged from hospital, or from a community setting.

“I’ve never been to Lindsey Lodge before, and when it was first suggested to me, I was a little worried, as I thought a hospice was somewhere people only came to at the end of their life.

I felt quite stressed about my condition and lack of mobility before I came, but agreed to come to the Butterfly Wing, and really didn’t know quite what to expect.

I arrived by ambulance, and as I entered Lindsey Lodge the sun was shining and I began to feel calmer.

When I got to my room it was beautiful and it felt more like a five star hotel! It was so lovely to have a door leading out onto the garden and such a nice environment for family and even pets to visit.

The staff were all so calm and positive, it’s really opened my eyes to what hospice care is all about.

Dr Lucy has supported me to get my pain under control and the whole team have been wonderful, they even provided me with complementary therapies to help me relax. I’ve loved spending time here whilst I’ve been recovering, and really never expected to pick up as quickly as I have!”

After just under two weeks of care at Lindsey Lodge Jacqui was well enough to return home on 22 November.

“Thanks to the lovely staff I’m not back on my feet. They’ve supported me every step of the way and I’m now confident in getting around again. I’m so grateful to everyone for everything they’ve done, it’s all been amazing – thank you!”

I am writing to let you know how much I appreciate the outstanding service that you have recently provided me at the Lindsey Lodge Breathlessness Clinic.

Even though I have only attended a few appointments with you after a referral by my GP, I have learnt so much about my respiratory condition and how to help deal with it. This is due to your in-depth knowledge and attentive help and guidance. Your service has provided me with information that other NHS services have been unable to.

Because of your efforts, and with a few more appointments I am hoping to be able to cope much better with my conditions.

Thank you and Lindsey Lodge for your help.

Helen Turton (52) from Belton was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and after initial treatment, began attending the Lindsey Lodge Wellbeing Centre. When Helens mobility began to deteriorate she was admitted to the Inpatient Unit at the Hospice.

“My whole experience of Lindsey Lodge has been extremely helpful, I was first referred to the Wellbeing Centre, but I felt a little sceptical to start with. My time in the Wellbeing Centre exceeded my expectations, I was there for six weeks and made a number of friends. I quickly connected with the other patients, as they knew how I was feeling.

I was then admitted to the Inpatient Unit after my mobility quickly declined. As Christmas was soon approaching, I wanted to spend quality time with family and friends so the team at Lindsey Lodge arranged for me to visit home. When it was time for me to come back, the staff made sure my room was festive, I brought my own Christmas tree and lights to decorate with.

I truly can’t credit Lindsey Lodge enough, the whole experience has been so positive. All of the staff and volunteers have been fantastic – nothing is too much trouble and you can’t ask for more than that.”

“Before I came to Lindsey Lodge, I lived on the sofa and was unable to live my life as I wanted. I couldn’t even lift my head without vomiting due to my paralysed stomach. I was so frightened to stand up because of the sickness.

Within just a couple of days of being admitted, the team had me up and about, using a four wheel walker. The whole team have given me so much encouragement and confidence and I no longer feel frightened to stand up anymore.

It truly is the most wonderful place, every single member of staff and volunteer has gone out of their way to help me and a result I feel so much more positive about my future.”

“Miles initially attended Lindsey Lodge Hospice as a day care patient. He realised that I needed a break and mentioned to me that the hospice offered respite care. After phoning I went to the hospice and explained our situation and it was decided that rather than respite care, Miles needed to be admitted as a patient.

In Miles’s final hours I asked if the bed could be moved slightly so that I could be facing him, the reply was ‘Absolutely, but we can do better than that, we can move Miles across a little so that you can get on the bed with him if that’s what you would both like’. To be able to hold him and to be held by him was a memory to treasure.

For Miles to die in such a caring place, everyone caring for us and our family and friends made it easier for us both. We were both cared for superbly. Thank you all for making Miles Aykroyd’s last days peaceful.”

“Glyn was first diagnosed with cancer in 2005. It was then that Glyn first visited Lindsey Lodge as a day care patient, and straight away they supported him and the whole family.

In 2010, his cancer came back and Glyn became severely depressed and suicidal. The support Lindsey Lodge provided was immense, having people understand him and be able to help him meant that Glyn felt safe. He really blossomed and became the person that we knew before his illness.

Sadly, in 2019 he became unwell with a new type of cancer. He was adamant that he would have one last Christmas with his family, and that’s when Lindsey Lodge stepped in. They arranged for Glyn to have Christmas at home with his family – and that was the biggest gift they could’ve ever given us.

From the first day Glyn arrived as a day care patient, to the day he passed away, they cared for us. The team at Lindsey Lodge made the hardest part of our lives bearable, they made us all feel safe and secure. The staff felt like extended family, and we all felt so loved. It really did become a home from home.”

Amazing set of ladies always going above and beyond. Love you all for everything you have done and are still doing for myself and my family. There are also so many others within Lindsey Lodge that do so much for me and so many others, I could never name them all, but can honestly say without them all I don’t think I would still be here today, and feel so happy yo know they are always there for me. I can never thank them enough, so keep up the amazing work you all do, it means so much to so many of us, thank you and love you all.

“You are all worth your weight in gold, everyone is just brilliant in your organisation…. The Butterfly Line was an absolute life saver at what was a harrowing time for the family”

“All staff are extremely supportive and I always felt encouraged to participate and ask questions. The staff are very knowledgeable, work extremely well together and made me feel very welcome. The patients were all given individualised, holistic care and treatment and it has opened my eyes to how different a hospice environment is, from the emotional support, managing symptoms and supporting the patients and their family to have a ‘good death’ in whichever way is important to them.”

I am an experienced Director in an Acute Hospital Trust, I therefore felt suitably qualified in being able to recognise what good quality care would look like. I was wrong. The care given to my father by the remarkable team surpassed any expectations I could have had.

Without exception, they didn’t just care for him as we all aspire to do, they cared for him with profound love and compassion as if he were their own father. They enabled him not only to die with dignity and respect but with absolutely no fear or concern, such was his confidence in the team and the love extended to him.

I’m sure we would all hope we are lucky enough to meet the end of our journey in such loving and comforting circumstances, and as his family we are so deeply grateful for what they did for him, and us.

Kate Watts (75) from Hibaldstow, is living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is the name of a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.

People with lung problems often feel short of breath. Many daily tasks can make you breathless, such as walking, getting dressed or doing jobs around the house. Being breathless can make you panic, or feel frightened. It can sometimes feel as though your breathlessness controls you, but with the right support, this doesn’t need to be the case.

Kate recently took part in Lindsey Lodge’s Breathe Easy Enablement Programme (BEEP), which supports patients diagnosed with progressive lung disease to participate in exercise, learn about their condition and how to self-manage at home. It focuses on providing personalised supportive care to enable them to ‘live well’ with their condition.

Here Kate tells us now she has benefited from BEEP:

“I was very apprehensive about starting this course. After shielding as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic for over two years, it was a large step for me to re-join the world outside my home and family.

I also associated Lindsey Lodge solely with end of life care, but this most certainly wasn’t the case. I would happily say that actually BEEP gave me a new lease of life, and I would encourage anyone with a chronic condition like COPD to accept the help of Lindsey Lodge.

I’ve enjoyed meeting new people, that have a shared experience and through these connections I was reminded to embrace opportunities and make the best of my situation.

The presentations were well delivered, at a good pace, and the content was very interesting, informative and relevant to my circumstances.

Most of all, I have benefited from the rehabilitation exercises. The sessions are appropriately paced and adaptable to individual needs, and the staff were very motivating to ensure each participant achieved the maximum to improve their capacity and stamina. There was time for a warm up and cool down and recovery time between each exercise activity.

I would highly recommend the exercise rehabilitation course, even after the first session I could appreciate the benefits of the course. If you commit to the course, the highly professional staff at Lindsey Lodge will do their best to ensure you reap the benefits.

I feel more confident going out to small social events with family and my walking capacity has improved. My family and friends have complimented me on my improved health and wellbeing. Thank you very much Sally and your team!