Patient & family stories

Louise’s story

Louise was cared for at Katharine House Hospice to help manage her discomfort and pain, and then after a year at home she returned to the hospice to receive dignified end-of-life care. Her husband, David, told us more about Louise and her time here and at home.

A career in palliative care

From Long Crendon near Thame, Louise was married to David, and they had two children, Abbie and Luke. Louise had been a nurse for over 30 years, became a Specialist Community Neurology Nurse in Oxford in 2011 and was passionate about palliative care.

Her career was a big part of who she was and so she had high expectations about standards of care and the importance of supportive professionalism between clinical staff. As someone who had dedicated her career to specialist medicine, David said that Louise was full of praise for her time with Katharine House, which she visited twice over two years.

“Her praise for the care at Katharine House came not only out of an immense sense of gratitude, but also for, I believe, her admiration of the exceptional professionalism and compassion shown by all the staff there of all capacities.” – David

Individualised care

Sadly, Louise was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and had various treatments over the next few years. After her health declined between Christmas 2023 and the New Year, Louise then came to Katharine House in January 2024. Although she and David lived near Thame, there was a bed available in a side room at Katharine House, which is why she came here.

Louise’s pain and discomfort was quickly managed by the hospice team, and they provided additional care and guidance around the kinds of foods to eat for her condition. As with all our patients, Louise’s care was tailored to her needs and she was consulted at all times, using her own knowledge to feed into the treatment options.

The hospice also looked after David and the rest of Louise’s family when they visited. Louise had a lot of family and friends visit during her time at Katharine House Hospice and they were never made to feel that this was burdensome to the staff. David said it genuinely felt like a home from home, even to the point of allowing David and close family to stay overnight during Louise’s stay.

Returning home

After a few weeks, Louise’s health gradually improved so she could be discharged with additional support. To help with the transition for going home, Louise and David were initially able to make short visits to make sure she had everything she needed and felt comfortable and ready. David said there was never any pressure to free up the bed, and the staff were reassuring that they could come back as needed. Then, when the time was right, Louise went back home.

Louise continued to receive additional treatment over the next year and was able to spend time at home. She also went on short holidays in the UK to make additional memories with the family. After fearing that Louise may die in early 2024 when she first came to the hospice, David said they viewed this year as a blessed bonus and the family all enjoyed another Christmas and New Year together.

Dignified end-of-life care

By early February 2025, Louise’s cancer had progressed once more. When it was decided that Louise would need hospice care once again, she was given the options of a hospice closer to home near Thame or to stay at home with additional support from the specialist Community Nursing team. Louise chose to return to Katharine House.

After Louise was made comfortable, it became apparent that her health would not improve much further. She and the family were still able to make more memories together, including a trip to Cotswold Wildlife Park, which was one of her favourite places to go. The last few weeks of Louise’s life were managed so peacefully, helping her and David to prepare for what would happen next. There was laughter as well as calm.

David said if Louise were to be asked about her journey, she’d have been proud of what everyone did to support her. She had a lot of confidence in the team, who provided her with dignity, reassurance and comfort. In turn, this helped David and the family to feel more comfortable too.

Remembering Louise

Louise died at the hospice in March 2025. David and his family attended the hospice’s Rose to Remember event in June 2025, where they’d bought a rose in memory of Louise. David said they found the event helpful and it was peaceful coming back to the hospice to see the display and remember Louise.

“It was very good to have a specific event to dedicate time to our memories of Louise, particularly as life started to get in the way of this and get back to normal again. As well as being the place where Louise was so well cared for, it is also a wonderful setting to come to, with the beautiful gardens and facilities. So peaceful.” –David

David said about Rose to Remember: “It was very good to be able to talk to staff and volunteers (including some familiar faces), who were very supportive and some of whom who had been through similar journeys too, which helped. It was nice to share time with others ‘in the same boat’, so to speak, and to be able to empathise with each other.”

Please help us help people like Louise

It is thanks to the donations of our wonderful supporters that we’re able to continue providing care to people affected by life-limiting illnesses and their families, helping them make the most of the time they have left and create quality memories with their loved ones. If you would like to make a donation, please click on the button below.

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