A GRIEVING family want to thank the 'amazing' staff at both the hospital and the nursing home that cared for their beloved mother in her final hours.

Elizabeth Richards died, this month aged 86, surrounded by the dedicated staff at Perry Manor Care Home whom she considered family.

One of her nine children, Will Richards, 62, said: "Mum was taken to hospital on June 6 suffering with abdominal pains. We were able to visit her in A&E the following morning, where she was weak, but thankfully without pain. When I entered the room I was rewarded with one of the warm smiles that lit her face most of her life.

"We were pleased to watch the nurses doing all they could to monitor her and keep her comfortable, as they assessed her. The department was busy with life, as she lay in peace.

"Later that night my sister phoned me to tell me that mum had left us. Thankfully, she was able to spend her final few hours with the dedicated staff she knew and loved, at Perry Manor Care Home.

"We will miss her deeply, and have our mourning to deal with, but I would like to thank the dedicated staff who eased her pain, and while they couldn't ameliorate the pain we feel for the loss of a lovely mum, they ensured her last hours with us were comfortable.

"I know mum would like us to say a very big and warm thank you, to the nurses and carers who play such an important part in our lives, right to the end."

The beloved grandmother of 27 has lived in Worcester almost all her life and was an 'integral part' of the care home at which she resided for the final six years of her life.

Katherine Matthews, manager at Perry Manor said: "Liz was an integral part of our family here. She brought so much joy to us all. She was very involved, she even started up a group where she would read her autobiography to other residents. She was a popular, kind and loving woman. She had a wicked sense of humour and was very very loved. We truly miss her."