Medical officer Dr Liz Freshwater
No day is the same for busy medical officer Dr Liz Freshwater, who works at John Taylor Hospice. From admitting new patients to talking to relatives, her role is all about people and making their lives the best they can be.
From admitting new patients to talking to relatives, her role is all about people and making their lives the best they can be.
“I know we can always help,” says Liz positively. “We may not be able to make them feel 100 per cent but we can always do something, whether it is pain relief or just someone to talk to.”
The hospice provides 24 hour palliative care to people at the end of their lives. The facility caters for inpatients who have illnesses such as cancer, liver failure and neurological conditions. Patients can stay full time or just come in for respite care, to give carers a break for a week or two. The hospice also has a community team and a day hospice.
Because the hospice never stops, the start of each day for Liz means looking at what happened the night before and what needs to be done next – all of which is a “to do” book. After that Liz will check on the patients and fit in some home visits over lunch.
In the afternoon, Liz will admit new patients and meet with relatives, who ask her anything from “have they been eating properly?” to more complex questions like “why is this happening to them?”
In between that Liz deals with phone calls and letters to and from oncologists, surgeons, district nurses and GPs.
Although flexibility and unpredictability is what the job is all about, there are some certainties that Liz and her colleagues at the hospice will always have to deal with: “When someone has died overnight, the day will start with them, and what needs to be organised surrounding their death,” explains Liz.
“It is impossible to ignore the fact that for all the positive things we do for our patients and no matter how long our relationship lasts, the end of their life is inherent in our meeting. That, unfortunately, is one thing that isn’t flexible. But it is part of what makes my job a privilege.”
While death of patients is one thing Liz can’t change, she is determined to change attitudes: “There is a definite stigma around hospices. Some people are afraid to come as they think you will come in one day and die the next. We try to make this a home from home, where people can relax knowing they are not burdening friends and family and where there are always people they can talk to.”
It is clear Liz already has one advocate of this philosophy as one resident in the day hospice said: “It makes you feel normal. It is a really warm, welcoming place where I feel safe.”
