Afternoon Tea Week – Carole’s story

Carole Falkner, from Tollerton, came to the Hospice for respite care in May 2021 and stayed for four weeks before being discharged in June. As a fan of afternoon tea, she had planned to go for tea with her daughter after attending a hospital appointment. Unfortunately, she was in a lot of pain and there were problems with the catheter in her chest. Consequently, she didn’t get a chance to go for tea and Carole was admitted to the hospital and then to St Leonard’s Hospice.

The Hospice team learned of Carole missing her afternoon tea and arranged for a surprise afternoon tea on the balcony of her room at the Hospice. Carole was joined for tea by her daughter, Lucy. Carole is herself a keen baker, and after retiring from nursing in 2015, began working at Betty’s in Stonegate. It’s a family affair as Carole’s daughter, Lucy, works as a waitress at Betty’s in York. So the pair know their cakes!

Carole said: “It was a really lovely surprise! The presentation was spot on, with all the nice crockery out. The St Leonard’s kitchen made lovely finger food. I was so touched because everyone got together and made it special for me. It made the difference.”

Carole is well-versed in nursing care as she is a retired staff nurse who spent 37 years working for the NHS in the community for Clementhorpe Health Centre and Dalton Terrace patients. Carole spoke glowingly of the care she received in the Hospice: “Being an ex-nurse I couldn’t fault it. My experience of the quality of care is second to none. There’s a stigma to what a Hospice is but it really isn’t like that at all. They do all the things that can be done to make your stay really nice. And it was just the respite I needed. I really benefitted from the care of the Hospice. I didn’t want to leave I was so well looked after. I miss the company now. I’ve even started knitting for the team.”