Because of you, Robin got to see his allotment one last time

Robin* was introduced to Winchester Hospice after he was diagnosed with a lung condition that significantly reduced his ability to get around. He was reliant on oxygen to manage day-to-day tasks which impacted his mobility.

He worked with our occupational therapist Linda Snook and the wider team to help him manage his illness.

Here Linda explains the care the hospice gave Robin and the difference it made to him.

Robin loved his allotment. All his time was spent there, growing an array of fruit and veg, and he was part of a strong allotment community. It was his happy place.

When he first arrived at the hospice for help managing his symptoms, he thought he would never return. He was always talking about what he was growing and, although he knew it was in good hands with friends looking after it, it was important to him to know how it was all going.

My work is all about helping people to live as well as they can for as long as they can, and we wanted to find a way to get him back to his allotment, even if he couldn’t physically get there. I contacted Don from our immersive learning team to see if he could help. He had a 360-degree camera and went to the allotment to film different areas. He then spent some time putting all the imagery together and overlaying the sounds of birds so we could create a virtual experience for Robin.

Both Don and I sat with him when Robin put the headset on and, I can’t lie, I had tears in my eyes as he was looking around at all his plants. He was chair bound but, thanks to the 360 camera, he could look in all directions at whatever he wanted to. He became completely animated. At one point he shouted ‘Look at my tomatoes’. I couldn’t see them of course, but I’m so pleased we were able to give him the opportunity to see his allotment again.

I had a look through the headset myself and, thanks to the detail captured in the images, I thought that it wouldn’t be unrealistic to take him there in person. I worked with our palliative care community team who also knew Robin to help make it possible.

One day in July, we booked a taxi, packed his walker, a wheelchair and some oxygen and headed off to the allotment. We spent a wonderful two hoursthere with him. He was a retired teacher and loved talking to us about the plants and the gardening techniques he used to grow them. We helped him to dig up some potatoes and he gave us all a bag each to take home and enjoy. It was so lovely to see him there, simply enjoying his surroundings and reconnecting with some of the other allotment holders. He just loved it.

When we spoke in the car on the way back, he told me he wouldn’t have had the confidence to go there with his family but, with our help, he was pleased he was able to return.

Thanks to that visit, he did have the confidence and went back one last time with his family before he returned to the hospice for end-of-life care. Robin died at the hospice in September 2023.

My role is all about overcoming barriers so people can live well for as long as possible, and it was an absolute privilege to be able to help Robin do something that brought him so much joy.

*Name changed to protect patient’s identity