Dragonfly Scheme South Tees Hospitals

10/07/2025

Many of us wear a mask to hide our true feelings when we are struggling.

Sometimes, as friends, we need to look behind the mask, and just be there for them when they need us 🧡

07/07/2025

"Because l carry it well 🌬

💨 doesn't mean it's not heavy"

07/07/2025

APPEAL FOR FOOTBALLS ⚽️

We have a few football mad dogs and unfortunately we only have one flat football and a flat basketball left. If you have any old footballs that you don’t want please donate them 😊 The dogs have so much fun with them!

07/07/2025

As a hospice nurse my first go-to is rarely medication. I think that our words, our touch, and our presence can often comfort someone in ways that medicine can’t possibly touch.

Being present at the bedside of someone who is dying can offer profound comfort, even without words.

Your presence can:
• Ease fear and loneliness: Simply sitting quietly, holding their hand, or maintaining eye contact can help them feel less alone.
• Provide emotional support: Hearing a familiar voice, even if they are unresponsive, can be deeply reassuring.
• Offer dignity: Just being there acknowledges their life and their importance, which helps uphold their dignity in their final moments.
• Facilitate peace: Your calm presence can create a peaceful environment, helping to ease the transition for both of you.

Sometimes, silence and presence speak louder than any words ever could.

Having said that, it is also very important that medication is available if needed to relieve suffering that cannot be calmed and comforted easily. As a hospice nurse one of the things that I focus on is teaching families and caregivers how to provide care by using verbal and tactile stimuli, assessing the room to see what might be causing discomfort, and understanding medication, the benefits, and making sure that those present are not afraid of it.

How we care for another human being when they are dying starts with understanding the value of our presence, being educated on what to expect, what could and might happen, what you can do personally for this person, and that you feel confident that your questions and curiosities have been answered. Education is key.

xo
Gabby
Hospice nurse/end-of-life doula
www.thehospiceheart.net

07/07/2025

💙💙

Rest in peace Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. You will always be missed and forever adored. Sending love and thoughts to your family, friends, teammates and fans on this tragic day.

07/07/2025

Today we remember the 52 people who died in the London bombings on the 7th of July 2005.

We send our love and support to those affected on that day. 🧡

Grief has no timeline, please see our website for signposting to support services. www.thegoodgrieftrust.org

15/06/2025

I like to think all the Dads in heaven get to come down today and spend it with their precious ones. But you must invite them. Say their names, play their favourite music and tell that joke that made everyone groan. They will come. The thing about love is, it doesn’t die, you see. It places precious parts of souls in loved one’s hearts and that, that lasts an eternity. Much longer than we can imagine. So, if you are finding today hard, look for them in the moments… I believe they’re trying really hard to let you know, they’re still here.

Donna Ashworth
‘Loss’

15/06/2025

We’re thinking of you 🧡

11/06/2025

Sometimes we need to make a list of the things we have to do in order to get through each day when we are grieving.

❤️
xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

03/06/2025

It’s time to change the narrative and make this conversation a little more comfortable to have. Death won’t happen faster because we talked about. The timeline will not change. Talking about it allows us to share what is most important to us individually, making sure that when we do die, which will eventually happen, those who love us will know how to honor our wishes in the way that matters most to us.

Talk about it!
Please.
♥️

xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

29/05/2025