Care on the Canal
Providing Care in the place of your choice is a core part of the service we offer at Isabel Hospice. For the majority of patients, their preferred place of care is in the home and for Blaine Phillips home took the form of his narrow boat on the canal.
Isabel Hospice has provided care for Blaine over the last two years, following his diagnosis of stage four tongue cancer.
For Blaine, the waterways were his safe space and his community, special to him for many reasons. Not least that this is where he met his wife Mel as she moored up in the same area as him over eight years ago.
Mel said, “he’s quite the character and well known on the river”. Growing up in southend, Blaine joined the army catering corps at 16. He was there for three years and left to travel the world. He returned home to care for his mum who had multiple sclerosis and was her carer for seven years. When she died, he bought his narrow boat and wanted to travel all around system and there found his new community.
Mel said “He’s a lovely kind, man, who cares about everyone, he’s got so many friends that he’s made over the years. People will travel down at the drop of a hat to come and see him. If you’re his friend you’re his friend till the end”
“It’s such an accepting community with people from all walks of life and that’s why Blaine always wanted to be here.”
Mel said “once we found out he was really ill, he just wanted to be back on the boat and that’s when I took over his care. I love Blaine and just wanted to help him to have a normal life as long as possible.
“Being on the river was so good for him, you can watch all the wildlife and see boats going past and he has his cat lucky to look after.”
Sara Burroughs, one of our clinical nurse specialists has been a constant for Blaine and Mel during this time. Mel said “we’ve seen all sorts of people, doctors and nurses and support, but Sara has been the only consistent person we’ve seen the whole way through, when things got really tough and not everyone has been there – Sara always has.
“It’s been the best thing for Blaine because he really likes Sara, he knows her and is comfortable with her there even in his worse states, he feels safe – it’s a frightening illness and it’s been so important to have her”
Sara was able to visit Blaine on the canal side to deliver specialist pain and symptom management, to help him maintain an independent lifestyle and supporting Mel in caring for him.
Mel said, “I didn’t know in the beginning that Blaine could be cared for on the boat and Sara made it possible.”
Even as Blaine’s illness exacerbated, Mel said “he stayed so resilient and really strong”. During his radiotherapy treatment Blaine even wrote a book, the story of his life “it basically kept him going and gave him a focus to get through the treatment.”
Blaine recounted his many life stories and travels that evidenced his adventurous nature. Always one to be spontaneous and live in the moment, which culminated in his proposal to Mel in August and their wedding just days later.
Mel said “it happened so quickly; Dr Beth from Isabel Hospice was able to write a letter to the registrar to speed up the process. I went and spoke to them and then the next day we were getting married! It happened so quickly I think I even forgot to invite some people; I’m so happy Sara was able to be there I knew she had been away but I rang her and she was there.”
Blaine then also received incredible end-of-life care from our Hospice at Home team who visited him on the canal numerous times across six weeks to provide practical nursing care and complex short term symptom management, avoiding the need for hospital admission.
Although Blaine’s ultimate wish to was to remain on his canal boat, the space available was a challenge to meet his increasing need for nursing care. He soon required a hospital bed and after discussions with Blaine and Mel they decided the best place for him to receive end of life care was the In-Patient Unit (IPU).
Blaine was in the IPU for six days where both he and Mel received psychological and physical support from all of the team. He was able to have visits from his friends and Lucky his beloved cat paid him a visit. Making the IPU as close to home as it could be.
Mel was able to be with Blaine during his stay and his final moments. Blaine died peacefully in the In-Patient Unit in October and is remembered by all those who loved him as an incredible man who, as Mel said “lived a colourful life”.
