As part of Hospice Care Week 2025 (October 6-12), Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care is highlighting how hospice care is about much more than medical care at the end of life.
Modern hospice care is about working with each person to understand what matters most to them and supporting them right from the point of diagnosis with a life-limiting illness.
The theme of this year’s national campaign is, ‘Hospice care is more than you think,’ which shines a light on the many ways hospices support people facing life-limiting illness. At Rennie Grove Peace, that includes ensuring that patients’ emotional and practical worries are heard and addressed, alongside providing expert clinical care, which enables them to live well with their illness.
One recent story from the charity demonstrates this in action. Michael, 80, from Hertfordshire, was supported by Rennie Grove Peace during his final weeks while living with renal cancer and chronic kidney disease. His faithful companion throughout was Coco, a much-loved rescue cat.
Rachel, a Healthcare Assistant at Rennie Grove Peace, recalled: “We visited daily to help with personal care, such as making sure he was clean and comfortable, and making breakfast – for him and his cat. We always made him a cup of his favourite Chinese tea. He was very appreciative of the visits, as he lived alone.
“Coco was his constant companion. She sat on his lap all the time and they were really loving and affectionate with each other. I know he was worried about what would happen to her when he died.”
When Michael’s daughter, Mary-Anne, mentioned she had promised her dad she would find a new home for Coco, Rachel did not hesitate to help.
“Mary-Anne couldn’t take Coco because she already had a cat and wasn’t sure what to do with Coco – a 13-year-old lap cat who was used to being the only pet. I knew how much Coco meant to Michael, and I wanted to give both him and Mary-Anne peace of mind that she would be okay,” Rachel explained.
Michael died at the end of August after spending his final days in the Rennie Grove Peace Inpatient Unit in Watford, leaving Coco suddenly without her beloved owner. Rachel helped Mary-Anne to share Coco’s story on a local cat rescue Facebook page. Within hours, the post had over 4,000 views.
Hope soon arrived when a 70-year-old woman, who also lived alone and was looking for an affectionate companion, stepped forward to adopt Coco. On Friday, September 5, Coco began a new chapter – safe, warm, and loved once again.
Thanks to Rachel’s compassion and swift action, Michael found peace in his final days, comforted by the knowledge that his beloved Coco would not be forgotten.
Jackie Tritton, chief clinical officer at Rennie Grove Peace, said: “Michael’s story is a powerful reminder that hospice care is about much more than medicine. It is about supporting the whole person – their relationships, worries, and wishes – and helping families prepare for what comes next. That might mean symptom management, emotional support, or in this case, making sure a much-loved pet finds a safe home. Hospice care is about dignity, compassion, and helping people to get the best out of every day while living with a serious illness.”
Rennie Grove Peace provides specialist care and support within Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, both in people’s homes and at its Inpatient Unit in Watford.
To find out more about how Rennie Grove Peace can support you or someone you know, please visit renniegrovepeace.org/our-care-and-support
Photo credit: Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care Facebook
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