Ron was in his late 80s, a bushman who valued his independence.

He wouldn't let Hospice visit him at home because he didn't want the neighbours to know he was sick. But he did agree to me visiting him at the pub, so I would meet with him every Tuesday at the Devonport Tavern.

My very first visit was on a Friday, and I remember standing at the doorway thinking, ‘What am I doing?'

I hadn't been in a bar since before I was married.

The bar was thick with smoke, and there were two TVs showing a boxing match; people were roaring.

I asked the barmaid where I could find Ron and she pointed to a man by the jukebox.

Ron was such a regular he had his own plaque on the wall and his own chair beneath it.

Our first conversation was very difficult because there was so much noise and he was more interested in the boxing match.

We agreed that next time we would meet on a Tuesday when it was quieter.

Over a five-week period, Ron became more and more frail, so I got him to come to Hospice Daycare once a week, where he could have a decent meal and meet other patients.

One day I had a call from the barmaid asking me to come because Ron did not seem well.

I arrived to find Ron looking dreadful.

I took him home and we called his GP, who recommended he go into a Hospice inpatient unit.

At that stage we didn't have one, so we rang St Joseph's Hospice.

At St Joseph's, Ron sat on the bed and pulled out his mouth organ. He had always promised to play it for me, but when he put the instrument to his lips, no sound came.

We both cried.

Ron died a couple of days later.

All the bar regulars were at his funeral, and that was just the most amazing tribute to a wonderful Devonport character.

My Hospice role was honestly the best I ever had.

It was tough at times, but knowing I made a difference has given me immense satisfaction.

Orla and Brian were devout Irish Catholics.

They shared a very strong faith and had crosses all over their house.

I had been calling in regularly to help Orla care for Brian, who had cancer.

On this particular day, I was on a rostered day off, but Orla found my number and called me and said, "You'd better come quickly, it's time."

I said, "Orla, I'm off duty. But tell me, what is Brian doing?"

She said, "He's sitting at the table eating his porridge."

I said, "Well, Orla, I can probably reassure you that Brian's not dying today."

She said, "He is. He'll be going at three o'clock today. I've prayed to the Holy Spirit. I've prayed to the Novena of the Precious Blood that he will have a holy death and I will be told. And she told me Brian's going today at three o'clock."

Orla had called their only son and told him to be there to say goodbye to his father.

I stopped by to reassure them and saw that Brian was fine, so I went on my merry way.

The next morning I got to work… only to learn that Brian had passed away at exactly three o'clock the previous afternoon, just as Orla had said he would.

To my absolute surprise, she had been right, and I had been wrong.

I'll never forget Orla.

She's affected me hugely over the years in regard to her practice and her total belief in the hereafter.

The reality for me was that her belief was so strong that it came to fruition.

And I don't think it would have mattered what religion she followed - whether it was Hindu or Buddhism or whatever - it was the depth of her belief system that defied all logic and made what she saw, true. Continue reading

The application - lodged by Hospice on April 9 - asks the High Court to provide rulings on the legal meaning of certain aspects of the End of Life Choice Act 2019, including:

• Whether an organisation such as a hospice can conscientiously object to Assisted Dying and operate a euthanasia-free service.
• Whether a district health board or other funding agency can decline to fund or contract with an organisation if it does not agree to provide assisted dying services.
• Whether the Act's mandatory obligations on a health practitioner override the ethical, clinical or professional judgments of that practitioner and their obligations under the Code of Health and Disability Consumers' Rights.
• Whether a health practitioner may exercise a right of conscientious objection on the basis that they hold as a core value that they must not act in a way that is contrary to their ethical, clinical or professional judgment and obligations.

A Hospice NZ spokeswoman said the application was necessary in order for the charitable organisation to be able to provide accurate advice to its members in advance of the referendum.

A 2017 statement on the Hospice New Zealand website acknowledges that euthanasia is a "challenging and emotive topic."

"We respect that everyone has the right to their opinion."

However, they note that legalising euthanasia and/or assisted suicide will place pressure on vulnerable people - those living with disabilities, mental health issues, terminal illness - for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden.

According to the Euthanasia Prevent Coalition Hospice New Zealand has probably launched the court case based on concerns with developments in Canada.

In February 2020, the Delta Hospice Society was informed that they will lose their funding because they refuse to do euthanasia.

Source

• alexschadenberg.blogspot.com
• nzherald.co.nz
• hospice.org.nz
• Image: wp19.genethique.org

As well as feeling proud that these young women were choosing to fill their free time with such worthy pursuits, the sight of the "hospice" logo brought back some very vivid memories for me.

Some years ago now, my gentle loving mother-in-law was told she had motor neurone disease. This has to be one of the cruellest diseases in the world.

Gradual loss of all motor ability, including movement, speech and eventually swallowing and breathing, yet retention of mental and cognitive faculties - I suspect it is a deeply frightening journey to be going through, and I fervently hope scientists around the world are making progress towards an eventual cure.

Until then, I had no idea that patients with illnesses like this could even access the hospice service, let alone be offered such a wide range of support - I had always assumed that the hospice only catered for people with cancer, at the very end of their life.

Over the years that followed, as my mother-in-law's health declined, the local hospice played a hugely important role in her care.

They offered a regular place of respite - very aptly named, as it does indeed provide relief for not only the patient but their caregivers too.

During these respite stays, the skilled hospice team could reassess her needs, adjust medications, and offer the kind of holistic care that is difficult for families to provide at home.

Arts and craft sessions, massages for tired limbs and achy muscles, and sympathetic counselling when required are just some of the benefits we saw during her visits there.

The fact that families, and especially grandchildren, were welcome there made it a place surprisingly full of life and vitality, and often laughter amidst the grief. Continue reading

• Dr Cathy Stephenson is a GP and forensic medical examiner.

The visits are the latest in the Pope's "Mercy Friday" initiatives, to spend time with various groups each month during the Jubilee of Mercy.

In previous trips, he has made surprise stops at places including an elderly home, a drug and alcohol rehab center, and a facility for retired priests.

In this month's visit, Pope first visited the San Giovanni hospital, stopping at both the emergency room and the neonatal unit. Currently there are 12 babies with various conditions in the unit. Five of them - including one set of twins - are in very serious condition in the ICU. Read more

It's a question being put to residents of Auckland's North Shore as part of Hospice Awareness Week.

Hospice North Shore is putting blackboards up across the area inviting locals to share what they would do if they had just months to live, with the hope of engaging residents of all ages to think about what is important to them; inspiring them to do what matters. Continue reading