Ron’s bench

The passing of a loved one is obviously a difficult time for families. In the depths of last winter, the Alexandra was asked to look after a 96-year-old gentleman on ‘end of life’ (EOL) called Ron. Ron was given over to our care by the Clifton Hospital to help make Ron’s final days pain free, comfortable and dignified.

Providing EOL has another important added dimension. That’s to include the loved ones struggling to come to terms with losing someone close. In the case of Ron, his family (Dorothy, Garry, Barbara, Phil and Lynne) were there with him throughout his time at the Alexandra. Understanding their needs was vitally important during Ron’s stay at the care home.

Ron eventually passed peacefully on a Saturday. His family had been with him during his final two days and, although losing a husband and father was very sad, the poignancy of the situation was interwoven with a feeling of celebratory joy – remembering the fantastic life of someone who was dearly loved by those around him.

Ron’s funeral took place soon after and his family decided that the church collection should be for the Alexandra Care Home. This remarkable gesture was testimony to the staff at the Alexandra and the wonderful care Ron and his family received.

Fast forward to October and the family came in for tea and cake to talk about how the Alexandra could best use the collection money as a fitting tribute to Ron. It was decided that the money would be used to buy a memorial bench.

The bench arrived today and was proudly put into position in the gazebo outside the main home lounge. Lynne said, ‘The bench will be a place for people to sit and reflect – to take five minutes out and have positive thoughts.'

All of Ron's family agreed that his last days at the Alexandra proved to be a far more positive experience than they could ever have imagined, so they wanted to capture the essence of that feeling and the bench will allow everyone that opportunity to sit and have nice thoughts.

We look forward to welcoming the family back soon for the official unveiling of Ron’s bench.