The Irish Cancer Society has said demand for its night nursing service increased by 20% in the last year.
It said because of Covid-19 more people are choosing to leave hospitals and return home for end-of-life care.
The Irish Cancer Society is now launching a recruitment drive to deal with the increased demand.
For Antoinette Britton, the night nursing service provided much needed support at a difficult time.
"My husband Brian was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017 and his wish as soon as he got the diagnosis was that he would die at home. And it worried from the start because I didn't quite know how we would do this," she said.
However, Antoinette said when the time came for Brian to return to their home in Blackrock in Co Louth, the night nursing service stepped to support her and Brian’s family.
"We nursed Brian during the day, and it meant we could spend our time with him in his final days and then at night the nurse would come at 11pm and we were told to go to bed because we would be doing the job the next morning, so it was just amazing," she said.
The Irish Cancer Society’s night nursing teams provide a free service for those who need palliative care in their homes.
Due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on hospitals, more patients are being cared for in the community.
Throughout the pandemic Night Nurses have provided over 1,000 nights of care to help people spend their final days in the comfort of their home.
Dympna McGovern who has been a night nurse for 24 years said the service is busier than ever.
"The last twelve months have been busier than usual. People really want to come home and families want to have them home. That’s where we step in and help out," she explained.
While the job is difficult, Dympna McGovern said it’s very rewarding.
"We meet families, they’ve been through the good news and the bad news, the ups and downs and we then we come to try and help. It’s amazing how welcoming families are, and we do the best we can at this difficult time for them," she said.
