“We treat our patients with dignity and respect from the first moment, right to the end”

The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I've done whatever I had to do, along with the nurses and doctors, to help someone in their last days. Our aim is to make our patients feel as comfortable as they can be, to give as much reassurance as we can, right to the end, whatever the illness. We treat the people we care for with dignity and respect from the first moment. And even after they pass away, we're still treating them with dignity.

I was inspired to work in palliative care after seeing my best friend's mother – who was like my auntie – pass away. I'd been helping to care for her at home, but it was very hard, and in her final days her symptoms worsened and she went into a hospice. I saw that it was a good place for her. It was quiet and her family could visit whenever they liked.

I'd studied public health and health promotion and was doing care work, but that was really my first experience of end of life care. I've now been a Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant for just over a year, initially in a hospice and now in the community, providing hospice care at home in North London. It's so rewarding to know you're really helping.

We're here for them whenever they need us, with 24-hour care. We make sure we give them the best treatment – the care we would give in a hospice, we give at home. Personal care, medications, respite for family members, everything.

Families don't always know they can have this kind of expert care at home, and that if there is a service like this in their area, they have choices. Sometimes people might feel a little anxious because they don't know what we will be like, but once we arrive there are usually happy faces. They feel more at ease. We're here to answer any questions they and their families might have, to ease any fears, concerns or problems.

We help with things their families may not be able or comfortable to do. Sometimes our patients prefer us to do their personal care, rather than their partners or children, for instance. And of course, not all patients have families or friends, so who they have is us. We're the ones giving them their breakfast, doing their personal care, talking with them. If they're in the hospice, we're the face they see when they wake up.

Very often my patients want to have conversations. It's so important that people at the end of life are treated like human beings and individuals. The people we care for are different ages, different ethnic backgrounds. They want to get to know us too. They ask about our families, the area we're from, why we do this job.

We talk to them about their preferences for their end of life and care, because it's up to them. Some might prefer to be in a hospice, others prefer to be in the comfort of home, their own space. Some might want to pass away with their friends and family around. Others might not want that. Whatever they want is what we try to give them.

We support their families too because it can be very hard for them. They might be confused, angry, crying. If I see them looking stressed or upset, I approach them and ask them if they're all right – even though I know they're not – so they actually know that I care. Our presence means the families can go out and spend some time doing the things that they need to, they might have children to care for or be battling to work as well. We can give a little respite.

You have to show compassion and it has to come from the heart You do bond with your patients and their families and of course it's difficult and sad to see their health deteriorate and to see people pass. I can still clearly see the faces of patients I've worked with. I think it helps the families to know we have that kind of relationship though. We reassure them that all of us, no matter what, will treat their loved one that way. You have to show compassion, and it has to come from the heart.

The hardest thing is seeing people in pain. We can do a lot to ease that, but even with medication there might still be some pain. We reassure patients and their families that we're doing all that we can. Marie Curie Hospices can offer other help as well, like support from the chaplains.

You have to be strong. It's not easy and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't get to me, because sometimes it does. I do reflect on my day. I'm human. You need to be genuinely caring and loving and to have compassion. I think that has to be in you naturally to do this work.

I'm so glad I chose this job though. It's so rewarding to meet so many patients and families and support them in the best way I can, to make them feel comfortable. They are so thankful for what we do. That makes me very proud to be a Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant.

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