Caring for Sam on our inpatient ward

Summary

Sam, who had motor neurone disease, received end-of-life care on Martlets inpatient ward in April 2025. Her husband Steve and daughter Evie talk about the difference hospice care made to Sam and their family.

Steve:

“Sam was diagnosed in June 2023 with motor neurone disease (MND) and passed away on Martlets’ inpatient ward on 8 April 2025. She was a warrior to the end. Before she was diagnosed, we’d noticed that her speech was slightly slurred and was getting a bit stuck. So Sam went to the GP and he got her fast tracked and she was diagnosed. It was a sudden onset and she lost her speech and swallow relatively quickly – in February 2024 she had to have a feeding tube fitted. We were put in touch with Martlets quite early on and they were wonderful; they helped prepare us for what was coming.

Respite care on the inpatient ward

By November of 2024, Sam was having a terrible time with symptoms and we were all exhausted. The doctors at Martlets said she needed to come in for a stay on the inpatient ward to try and get her symptoms under control, which they managed to do during her three-week stay. They were fantastic and helped get us the care package we needed from the local authority for night-time care so that Sam was able to come back home.

Before Sam was referred to Martlets, I’d never been into a hospice. I went with a feeling of dread and fear because I didn’t know what to expect and associated hospice care with dying. But the staff there were so welcoming in just the right sort of way – totally acknowledging how awful the situation was, but also offering positive practical and emotional support. Everyone was wonderful – from the doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants to the catering and cleaning staff.”

Sam Whittaker

Getting to know Mum

Evie:

“That made such a difference to us. Martlets helped make things more manageable and improved Mum’s quality of life for those last few months we had with her. During that first stay for symptom management they put so much effort into getting to know Mum – what she enjoyed and what her interests were. And because Mum couldn’t speak they made a real effort to understand and to help her communicate with them. They wanted mum to feel comfortable and safe.

The team helped us create a word-bubble diagram where we could write what Mum enjoyed, like dancing and philosophy. Mum had been apprehensive about accepting hospice care and being an inpatient, especially as her admission for symptom management happened quite quickly. But because the staff immediately took the time to get to know her as a person as well as a patient it made her feel more at ease. She built such positive relationships with the doctors, nursing staff and the healthcare assistants. Once they sorted out her medications and stabilised her condition, she was able to come home for a few months.”

Coming home

Steve:

“It was great to have Sam home, but as she began to get weaker she had quite a few falls which meant she was rushed to A&E at least six or seven times. Our biggest concern was that if Sam had fallen and broken her hip and gone to A&E and died in hospital, it would have been a completely different experience. But knowing Sam could be admitted to Martlets for end-of-life care felt so reassuring. In a hospital setting, they don’t have the time or the resources to support terminally-ill patients with the same dignity.”

Evie:

“Mum was at home for a few months, but in April 2025 she was finding it difficult to breathe and was admitted to Martlets for end-of-life care. All the staff remembered her and there was such a lovely bond between them and our family. When Mum died, several of the doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants cried, which I thought was really touching. They must experience patients dying quite frequently, but obviously they’re only human and it showed they genuinely cared about Mum. It was actually quite comforting to see that Mum had had that impact on them, and they weren’t feeling as though they had to switch off and detach. It showed they cared and that was a comfort to us.

Family looking happy and smiling outdoors on a breezy day.

Evie, Steve, Elise and Sam

End-of-life care at Martlets

Mum wanted to be at the hospice rather than being in the hospital at the end, because she’d experienced the care that Martlets had given her and she trusted them. The team managed to strike a perfect balance between being there if we had any questions but also giving us time to be with Mum as a family.

After Mum died, we had as much time as we wanted in her room with her before anything happened; before the funeral directors came to get her. She passed quite unexpectedly and although Dad was there, me and my sister were at home. Dad called us at 5.30am and by the time we got there she’d already passed away. I had so many questions I needed answers to and the nurses were so attentive and supportive. But they also knew exactly when to step away and give us space. I don’t think hospital staff would’ve had time to give us that level of attention, that’s why hospice care makes all the difference.

Support your local hospice

You don’t know what the future holds for you and your loved ones and it’s important that hospice care is there for all of us when we need it. We’ve had friends and elderly relatives go to hospital A&E and several have spent 30 hours or more in beds in corridors because there’s such a strain on NHS resources. For people with life-limiting illnesses, hospices can free up hospital beds and, most importantly, provide specialist care.

Often people don’t like to think about the end of life, or they think terminal illness is not going to happen to them or someone in their family. But then suddenly it does happen to your family. No-one with a terminal illness should have to die in a hospital corridor in A&E because they’ve been rushed in there for sudden complications. They should have access to specialist hospice care, whether at home or on a hospice ward. What we went through with Mum was so difficult, but Martlets made things as good as they possibly could be under the circumstances. I can’t imagine how we would’ve coped if Mum hadn’t had access to that care. So please help support Martlets however you can – whether it’s a financial donation, playing the lottery or volunteering or fundraising. Whatever you do, no matter how small, will help them to care for more families like ours.”

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