Dear Sir,

When I went to visit my friend in the hospice (Agape House), I was expecting to find an oasis of peace, respect and dignity.

• Patients at Agape House share rooms with one and two other residents

• There is merely a curtain around each bed, which is in direct conflict with hospice care to have no surrounding space — this is certainly not enhancing or improving the quality of the remaining life of a patient

• There is no room for a chair to talk quietly and not to be an intrusion for the other patients. The room becomes very crowded with visitors bumping into each other, all endeavouring to be with their acquaintances

• The sheets on the bed had holes in them. Thin, grey, shabby and threadbare

• The reception area and visitor entrance is consumed with medical supplies and equipment

• The back porch is grimy, the seating is grubby, the windows filthy and the gardens unattended

• The visitor sitting room is dark and dreary, and the wasted space everywhere is illogical

A hospice should be a place of dignity and compassion to maximise comfort and to support the highest quality of life. I have a vision of a home-away-from-home atmosphere that is a serene and a dignified dwelling, where every moment counts.

So that these patients have the seclusion and confidentiality that they deserve and merit, and are certainly worthy of, I am imploring someone to help to revitalise the hospice into a beautiful and tranquil dwelling.

SUSAN STARLING