‘I take great comfort in knowing that I helped Grandad to achieve his final wish of dying peacefully and gently at home, with the support of Blythe House Hospice.’
Blythe House Hospice’s Roaming Car service team was on hand to ensure that Grenville could spend his final days in the comfort of his South Normanton home.
His granddaughter, Rebecca, was a constant advocate, supporting her Grandad alongside her grandmother, Dorothy (Grenville’s wife of over 65 years), until he took his final breath in March 2025.
Rebecca described her Grandad as ‘the kindest, most genuine and thoughtful man.’ He was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease in 2019 that doctors said was idiopathic (no specific cause could be found). Despite this, Grenville had been living well – until February 2025, when he was admitted to Kings Mill Hospital, struggling to breathe.
With her medical background as a midwife, Rebecca understood that it wasn’t going to end well: ‘His infection levels were huge, and his breathing was awful. He stayed in hospital for two weeks, and it was discovered that an infection had worsened his lung condition. He was also diagnosed with heart failure. He had heart and lung scans, and the results were shocking; I don’t know how he was breathing, there was no air exchange in his lungs.’
(L to R): Rebecca, Grenville, his Daughter, Angela, and wife, Dorothy.
Grenville with Harry, his great grandson
Grenville was determined not to spend his final days in hospital: ‘He was very anxious about dying in hospital. It was so important to us that he could come home. When the hospital discharge team mentioned hospice care, I must admit, I hadn’t realised it was possible at home. I thought a hospice was a building people went to die in – but being introduced to Blythe House’s Roaming Car service changed everything. I could see the panic in Grandad’s eyes about being alone, and I vowed to stay with him. I told him there would never be a minute he’d feel scared.
‘Community nurses provided Grandad with anticipatory end of life care medication, and he was referred to the Blythe House Roaming Car service. One night, Grandad was becoming particularly agitated, and I rang Blythe House. Sue and Danie came and oh my gosh, the time they spent with Grandad and I was so, so precious. They never rushed; they sat and spoke to us both – they held Grandad’s hand and stroked his arm as they provided extra medication to make him comfortable. They talked to him about the framed artwork in his bedroom that he had painted. They were just angels.
‘We only had Blythe House support that one night, but it made such a difference. Grandad died soon after and I personally rang the team to let them know and to thank them for their incredible support.
‘I take great comfort in knowing that I helped Grandad to achieve his final wish of dying peacefully and gently at home, with the support of Blythe House Hospice.’
