Christmas at home: Farewell from the hospice

In summer 2021, Heidemarie Riede-Balcer moved into a room at the Villa Auguste hospice in Leipzig. Terminally ill people like her are usually guests there for two to three weeks before they die. But Heidemarie Riede-Balcer is still alive a good four months after her arrival. It would be an exaggeration to say that she is in great spirits; the petite 77-year-old is visibly marked by the leukaemia she has had for almost 25 years. But she now feels so stable again that she made an extraordinary decision in the week before the first Advent.

Heidemarie Riede-Balcer left the hospice and returned home. Walking upright. Because she wants to spend the Advent and Christmas period at home with her husband. "I know how ill I am, I'm not fooling myself," she says. "It's just an interlude at home. But I'd like to take advantage of that now."

Farewells like that of Heidemarie Riede-Balcer are extremely rare at Villa Auguste. Hospice manager Sister Beatrix Lewe can only remember one comparable case in the 20 years since the centre opened. The facility, which is supported by Bethel and seven other partners, provides palliative care for around 200 dying people every year. "I was told I was a medical miracle," says Heidemarie Riede-Balcer and laughs.

Before she came to the hospice near Leipzig's Monument to the Battle of the Nations, the Markkleeberg resident was cared for at home by the Villa Auguste bridge team. The specialised outpatient palliative care team looks after around 600 dying people every year. In addition to two permanently employed doctors and six doctors on call on a fee basis, the bridge team also includes eight palliative care nurses.

When she became increasingly unwell, Heidemarie Riede-Balcer moved to Villa Auguste. "I was three-quarters dead there," she says. But she stabilised - thanks to the excellent multi-professional care and her iron discipline. As difficult as it was for her, Heidemarie Riede-Balcer struggled to get out of bed every day to wash herself and take a few steps around the house with her walking frame. She felt well supported at the villa. "The staff are empathetic, respectful and considerate," she says, giving a small example: "I didn't want to see the undertaker in the house, because that doesn't do me any good. That's why I asked the nurses to warn me in good time. That happened every time."

Heidemarie Riede-Balcer no longer needs any support. "The nurses brought me food, but apart from that there was nothing else for them to do with me," she explains. Now the bridge team is keeping in touch with her again: "I made friends during the 18 weeks I spent there. And the house is very pleasant," says Heidemarie Riede-Balcer as she says goodbye. "But home is home after all."

Text: Philipp Kreutzer | Photos: Christian Weische