Hospice visitors face tough choices

A Timaru father of two has made the heartbreaking decision to stay locked down at Hospice South Canterbury to comfort his terminally ill mother.

Julian Donaldson has been by his mother’s side since March 25 and has only seen his wife and two children aged eight and 10 through the window since then because once a family member enters the hospice they have to remain alongside the patient 24/7 to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

‘‘I’m going a little stir crazy. I have good days and bad days,’’ he said.

The hospice made the decision to restrict the number of visitors to one or two per patient, and keep them in the building, a few days before the nationwide lock down began at 11.59pm on March 25.

Donaldson said he would never leave his mum on her own, so the decision was a ‘‘no brainer’’. It was hard on his children who were close to their grandmother as they could not see her or hug her. ‘‘It was an emotional decision. I could have been trapped on the outside and not seen mum or trapped inside and not be with my family.’’

The funeral home managing director was still working while confined, by manning the company’s phones from the hospice, which he said was keeping him sane.

He said the staff at hospice had been really good but it was challenging to watch his mother decline.

Hospice general manager Peter O’Neill said family members had to commit and stay. ‘‘They can’t leave, if they do, that’s it. It was a very difficult situation.’’

Only one or two family members were allowed to stay, making the decision on who those people should be very hard on families, O’Neill said.

He said while the measures went against hospice’s ethos of caring for whanau/families of patients, it was the only way to keep patients and staff safe.

On Friday there were two patients at the hospice with one family member staying with each. If new patients are admitted they will be allowed only one family member.