Celia was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in December 2018 and died in March this year. She was 74.
Her daughter Lucy Hicks Beach moved back into the family home in Great Witcombe, near Gloucester, with her three daughters Lily, Safi and Kitty, to be there for her mum after she became ill.
“My mum was fiercely independent, incredibly active and really was the matriarch of the family. She was like a second parent to my girls and Mum worked really hard to give us the best life,” she said.
“When she became ill, she felt anxious and didn’t like losing that sense of not being able to cope with everything. She knew herself that we needed extra help to care for her.
“When she was due to come out of hospital, she was referred for Hospice at Home care and luckily Longfield said they had availability to help and they made their visit the next day.
“To begin with the nurses gave mum a little bit of hands-on care, but it was more about mum getting to know them and them getting to know Mum so that trust built up for when she needed more intensive care.
“When she became very poorly and we knew she was nearing the end, the Longfield staff were amazing as they just gave mum the space to talk through her worries and concerns. On the day she died, they were there not just to care for mum but to support all of us too.”
Celia’s son Fred Hicks Beach, who runs the farm, said being at home was so important to his mum.
“Mum loved travel, but she also loved being at home and Witcombe was like a comfort blanket to her. Being back at home when she became ill was what she wanted,” he said.
