Amanda on grief counselling at St Ann’s Hospice
Amanda Walton (Clayton) was struggling after her mum died when she reached out to St Ann's for grief counselling. This story is a part of the National Hospice Legacy Campaign which has been launched to promote the importance of legacy donations or gifts in Will left by the general public to hospices such as St Ann's. As part of this campaign St Ann's has been speaking to patients, families, and those who have encountered St Ann's to show off the different aspects of hospice care.
Amanda Walton (Clayton) shares her experience with St Ann’s Hospice since her mum, Jackie, was admitted in 2018. She speaks about how grief counselling offered by St Ann’s after her mum died guided her through her loss. A service she didn’t realise was offered by the hospice.
Jackie was admitted to St Ann’s Hospice for pain management. Amanda didn’t know much about St Ann’s at the time and found the idea of her mum entering a hospice to be quite daunting.
“At the time, we all thought, like a lot of people do, that she was going into hospice and that’s it, it’s end of life. Without any experience, I feel that’s what people think a hospice is,” Amanda said.
“She was in hospital a long time, she was really struggling. She was petrified at the idea of entering a hospice, for her she felt that she was going in and she wasn’t coming out.
Our perception of what a hospice is changed instantly once we arrived at St Ann’s. Mum had everything explained to her, the reasons why she was there and what they were going to do for her in a way she could understand. Within 24 to 48 hours, she had a smile on her face. It was like a complete switch Amanda Clayton, St Ann's Hospice Supporter
Amanda reached out to St Ann’s a few weeks after her mum had passed away, she realised she was struggling and needed help getting back to day-to-day normality.
“Grief counselling was something they mentioned when we were in the hospice after mum had died. I rang St Ann’s when I was struggling and straight away, they got me in for sessions.
“It helped me come to terms with mum’s illness when she was first diagnosed, how I was feeling afterwards, and dealing with her loss. What it also did for me was it helped me grieve for my dad who had passed away a long time before mum. I didn’t grieve for him properly at the time. I just got swept up with life and never fully came to terms with my emotions.
“I wouldn’t be as strong as I am today, I wouldn’t be able to get on with my life like I do without those sessions at St Ann’s,” Amanda said.
Amanda and the wider Clayton family have raised approximately £55,255.25 for St Ann’s since Jackie passed away, she encourages others to consider donating to the cause or leaving a gift in their will for the hospice.
“You don’t know the care St Ann’s gives until you’ve had that experience. It’s not the big things, it’s the little things. It’s the manicures and haircuts they give to patients, it’s the welcome you receive once you walk in the door, nothing is ever too much trouble. Without people giving, the hospice wouldn’t be able to provide for their patients,” Amanda said.
If you need any more information, St Ann’s are here to help. Please contact Heather, the In-Memory and Legacy Fundraiser on 0161 498 3631 or email legacies@sah.org.uk.