Katie’s story
It’s more than two years since the pandemic hit, and here at LOROS we’re still feeling the effects.
To make the Hospice a safer place, we had to make many changes to how we cared for our patients. Visitors to the Hospice and the Ward were restricted, and our Day Therapy sessions moved to online. We did everything we possibly could to keep our patients and staff safe. Our nurses became like family to our patients, soothing, engaging and cheering them up when they were unable to see their loved ones.
Katie Sherratt has worked as a nurse at LOROS since 2019, just before the pandemic. During that time, she has nursed patients on the Inpatient Ward and supported them in Day Therapy. She’s been here throughout the pandemic, even using her days off to support the vaccination programme at Leicester Hospitals.
Katie tells us what these past two years have been like as a nurse on the frontline, and how she and her team worked tirelessly to make patients feel loved and cared for in these extraordinary times. By playing our Spring into Summer Raffle you’ll be helping patients and their families through the most devastating time of their lives. With your support, we will be here no matter what the future holds.
Thank you from all of us at LOROS x
"Covid has been terrible for families, as we had to restrict visits to the Ward to protect patients from infection. We tried so hard to make up for that, by spending lots of time with our patients, chatting to them about their interests, and doing everything we could to make them feel loved and cared for.
One lovely patient told me he missed going to the pub with his friends. He was looking sad, so I brought him a beer and sat with him, drinking tea, whilst we chatted.
"We really try to get to know our patients and pride ourselves on picking up on little cues that make our care really personal."
Where families couldn’t visit their loved ones at all, we held up smart phones and iPads so they could see one another. Sometimes families just couldn’t manage the technology, so we tried to find a way to bring them together.
One man brought his wife’s dog to see her through her bedroom window, it stood up on hind legs and put its paws on the window ledge! It cheered up the patient so much to see their beloved pet.
"We try to create happy memories for our patients and their families."
Sometimes that’s as simple as playing their favourite music or pushing their bed into the courtyard so they can feel the sun on their face. At other times, we’ve arranged visits from miniature ponies and donkeys for patients with young children, pamper evenings and home cinema experiences, so families can share some precious moments together.
LOROS gives nurses the time to spend with patients. Though busy and upsetting at times, there was no better feeling than going home knowing that you could not have done any more for your patients.
"I’m proud to be a nurse and proud to wear a LOROS badge.”
Love Katie, nurse at LOROS Hospice.
I support LOROS Hospice by playing the raffle every year. To win just before Christmas was an amazing surprise! My family have benefited from counselling services provided by LOROS. I think the Hospice does wonderful work for local people and the community - this is why I continue to support.
Read Graham's story
I wanted to support the winter raffle 2020 not only due to the pandemic, but because I know how well LOROS care for people.
Read Alex's story
