“Before I went to Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, I felt alone – but I don’t now”

For three years, Jo Paul’s lung conditions left her exhausted, breathless and increasingly isolated. She rarely left the house and felt her confidence slipping away.

Everything changed when she was referred to the Day Services team at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice last year – support she now describes as lifechanging.

Jo lives with COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and asthma, conditions that cause severe breathlessness and fatigue.

“They gave me four years at the time, and I have gradually gone downhill,” she says.

By the time she was referred to Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in April 2025, Jo says she felt cut off from the world.

“I didn’t really go out and I didn’t want to engage because my breathing was quite bad. I’m on oxygen now, so I didn’t leave the house much at all and I didn’t have much contact with people.”

Despite feeling anxious about her first visit, Jo says the Sue Ryder team made everything feel manageable.

She says: “They arranged a volunteer driver to pick me up, they called beforehand to introduce themselves, and they even checked my dietary requirements.

"I can’t eat dairy, and when I arrived they offered me coffee with oat milk. Everything was so personalised. The staff were excellent – they couldn’t do enough for me.”

Jo began with the hospice’s six week Breathe Better programme and also joined the Creative Therapy Group, run by the Occupational Therapy and Day Services teams.

“I was having problems with my dad, who has dementia, and I was struggling with the menopause which was affecting my breathing,” Jo says.

“Sue Ryder Nurse Belinda sat with me for half an hour and told me to talk through everything that was affecting me. Over a few weeks she managed to sort it all out – she spoke to social services about my dad, arranged for a menopause clinic, and organised for the occupational therapist to visit me at home. I got a perching stool for the kitchen and a handrail in the bathroom.

“One week I was really low, and Belinda arranged for someone to call me when I got home. It was just above and beyond.”

As well as practical support, Jo says the Breathe Better programme helped her understand her conditions more clearly. She says: “I learned so much about fatigue and COPD – things I didn’t know. One week they did complementary therapy and I learned about massage, reiki, acupuncture and reflexology. It was really interesting.”

Jo is now attending the hospice’s Living Well programme, and says the support has transformed how she feels day to day. She adds that the social connection has been just as important as the clinical support: “I do miss the social side of work. I used to meet a lot of people through my job. I’ve met quite a few people through the courses at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice and it’s nice to talk about symptoms and situations with people in a similar position. It’s about sharing experiences. Before I went to Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, I felt alone – but I don’t now.”

Bridget Robinson, Community Day Services Clinical Team Lead at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, says Jo’s experience reflects the purpose of the service.

“Our Day Services are here for anyone living with a progressive life limiting condition who wants to feel more confident, connected and in control. It’s about early support, not just end-of-life care. When people join us sooner, we often see a real shift in physical wellbeing, emotional resilience and independence.”

The Community Day Services at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice run three days a week and offer tailored, inclusive support delivered by specialist teams and trained volunteers.

To find out more about Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, visit sueryder.org/Manorlands