#84 Alison Gardner & Sophy Horner Last Days Matter

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Alison Gardner & Sophy Horner from St John's Hospice about their incredible programme Last Days Matter. The programme aims to support people in looking after their loved ones at home and is very much a compassionate community approach to care.

I learn how the programme was developed, what it includes and how to access the Last Days Matter resource.

Key messages from guest

• I hear about the inspiration behind the Last Days Matter project

• Last Days Matter is a short course with five modules

• Planning for the future

• How to care and accompany someone with a life shortening condition

• Saying goodbye

• Recognising the signs of dying

• Negotiating the ‘new normal’ after someone has died.

• Alison and Sophy talk about the reach of the programme

• We talk about the importance of language

• I learn that Last Days Matter is delivered free of charge

Resource

• Find out about Last Days Matter Helping families and friends look after their loved ones at home 

• Read the BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care Last days matter – a programme to help lay families look after their loved ones at home 

• Find out more about Compassionate Communities 

• Click www.sjhospice.org.uk then go to resource section for free information

Bio: 

Alison Gardner
Hello, my name is Alison Gardner, I’m a mum, wife, daughter, sister, aunty, friend and a registered nurse.  I have been a daughter and sister for 6 decades the other roles for varying time spans. 

I started my nurse training in 1981, and held various professional roles, predominantly in Cancer and End of Life care; I retired from the NHS in 2021.  I have been involved with St Johns Hospice since it opened in 1986 after 18 months ‘retirement. I am delighted to be a Hospice employee, my role is Palliative and End of Life Care Education in Care Homes and Domiciliary Care. 

Personal and professional experiences have taught me the benefits of having open and honest conversations about the end of our life, things that we would and would not want and putting plans in place.   The opportunity to work with friends and colleagues from various backgrounds as part of the North Lancashire Compassionate Community to create and deliver ‘Last Days Matter’ has been both an honour and privilege.  The programmes aim is to support people in understanding what they can do for themselves and others as end of life approaches, the hope being that we will live in communities who are prepared to, and know how to support each other.

Outside of work my husband and I enjoy spending time with our families, friends and our rescue dog Ben (who features in ‘Last Days Matter’).  

Sophy Horner
I'm Sophy Horner and I'm the Director of Marketing, Communications and Engagement for St John's Hospice. My love of St John's stems from the fact that everyone's role has a genuine purpose - what we do really matters to patients and their families.

My goal is for communities to be as open about the subject of death as they are of birth. A key inspiration for me are the words of Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement, "How people die remains in the memory of those who live on ''. In essence, a good death is important for the person who is dying and their families and friends, so our goal of encouraging compassionate communities  is vital. 

Thinking of my past five years at St John's Hospice, Lancaster; the creation and delivery of Last Days Matter is a personal and professional achievement and it was, and still is a wonderful piece of teamwork. The privilege of my job is the time I spend with patients and their families at one of the most challenging times of their lives - these times are precious . 

I have recently graduated from Lancaster University with a MSC in Professional Practice at the tender age of 56. I can now spend more of my spare time with my glorious rescue cat: Jack, and pretending I'm a competent gardener!