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From Palliative care survey for NSW people to have their say by Letitia Fitzpatrick in the Port Macquarie News.

During a visit to the Wauchope Hospital palliative care unit on Friday November 10, volunteer Jill Drury showed Leslie Williams an instrument called a reverie harp, which she uses with patients.

“It’s designed to bring comfort and peace, and you don’t need any musical training to pluck the strings and feel soothed,” she said.

Mrs Williams paid tribute to the palliative care staff and the volunteers.  Palliative care unit nursing manager Mary Trotter said that family members often come back to the unit, when they’re ready, to spend some quiet time, remembering their loved one.

Ms Trotter said they have just eight beds, but they would love to have more, because when they have full occupancy, patients in Port Base Hospital are on a waiting list to get to Wauchope.

Dr Nick Hirst said the unit was a fantastic place to work because you get to address people’s immediate needs.

Each bedroom has a wall where patients can pin photos of their loved ones, and their pets, and the animals are allowed to visit.  One lady even got wheeled outside to feed apples and carrots to her horse

Pic:Wauchope palliative care unit volunteer Jill Drury brings this reverie harp to patients to soothe them (Pic credit to Port Macquarie News).