Why this happy hospice may challenge your preconceptions of end-of-life care
This is one of a four-part How We Die series shining a light on the brighter side of the death industry
‘Heaven’, ‘holiday’ and ‘bit of a party’ are not the words and phrases that immediately spring to mind when you think of a hospice.
But they've all been used by staff and patients to describe St Joseph’s in east London.
From the outside, this Hackney institution could be mistaken for any old building but on the inside it is as bright and diverse as the multi-cultural community it serves.
The hospice strives to keep life as normal as possible for patients, with services including an in-house hairdresser, acupuncturist and even a drinks trolley.
Saad Ahmed, a senior healthcare worker who's been employed at the hospice for 13 years, describes it as something "which you don’t want to take away".
In that time he's seen huge changes in the industry, with one of the main differences being life-span expectations after being admitted to a hospice.
"One of the big misconceptions we have is inherited from back in the past," he says.
"People didn’t expect to last very long, their life span was expected to be very short. People still have that view; ‘once I come to the hospice, I’m finished’.
"Families get worried when they hear the word hospice. We assure them that it’s changed a lot."
According to data collected by The National Council For Palliative Care, end-of-life treatment is set to change in the future, with demand set to increase by 42% by 2040.
Paula Watson, from Hackney, east London, has an extremely rare form of motor neurone disease; she is one of only 59 known cases worldwide.
She arrives at the hospice with her partner Ian for respite care.
"Coming to St Joseph’s has been a lifeline," she says. "Even just walking in and saying hello, it’s like a family. Everybody knows you by your first name."
Paula, who describes herself as a "fighter", has an admirable attitude when it comes to her death, saying: "It’s going to happen to us all one day anyway."
She added: "I have always said that I would like to come here for my last days. It’s sad but at least I’d have the best care for me. It’s one of them things."
Hospice care starts with the patients but extends to families too.
Jude and Steve, the wife and father of Daryl, were full of praise for the end-of-life care he received after a brain tumour.
Jude told ITV News: "It was difficult to admit that Daryl needed that constant attention and we couldn't really cope with his condition at home.
"I think there’s still very much a taboo around hospice care, there’s still the perception that it’s an institution where people come to die but just being here, from the moment we walked through the door, they’ve created this new home for us and they’ve just let us be his family."
Speaking to ITV News while Daryl was receiving care, Steve added: "I’m actually gonna miss coming up here. I’m going to try and raise as much money as I can and keep coming back.
"It’s like a little haven when you get here, we’ve all got smiles on our faces, whereas normally we’d be really, really sad. We’re even joking now where we couldn’t have done before. It’s wonderful."
Daryl passed away at St Joseph’s hospice shortly after filming and a month later Steve and Jude returned for a remembrance service.
Steve was so moved by the care provided by the hospice he got a tattoo a week after his son died.
"That is the logo of the hospice. So wherever I go, it’s always with me," he said.
Dealing with the inevitable deaths at the hospice has had a profound affect on those who are dedicating their lives to caring for others.
Staff nurse Joanna O'Brien says she's thought a lot more about her own approach to the end of her life while working at St Joseph's.
"I think it's really important we have conversations with the important people around us about what our preferences are, how we feel about different treatments, what things would be important," she says.
"And if we plan for those things it means we can create an environment that's actually a really nice place to die."
Watch more from our special series How We Die, where we look at a subject many of us don't like to talk about - and the people doing things differently around end-of-life care and funerals