Tim Roxburgh has had the unique experience of going back home after spending six months at hospice.

When you go to hospice for end-of-life care, it乌鸦传媒檚 not expected that you will leave again. But the Langley man did just that, and he has shared with people what helped to bring him home.

Last January, Roxburgh collapsed and ended up in emergency with a serious case of cirrhosis, a complication of liver disease.

He ended up in Abbotsford Hospital for three weeks and was sent home only to go right back. He was in hospital until May and was deteriorating every day. The environment of a hospital is not a healing setting, said Roxburgh.

乌鸦传媒淚 was told I was about two weeks from dead and they offered me a bed at the Christine Morrison Hospice in Mission. It was available so I took it,乌鸦传媒� he said.

When he arrived at hospice, he couldn乌鸦传媒檛 do anything, not even get out of bed without the aid of nurses.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 a pretty independent guy and having to get someone to help me for everything wasn乌鸦传媒檛 working for me,乌鸦传媒� he laughs.

He also had an important goal to reach. He wanted to live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. With the support of his daughters and the quality care at the hospice, Roxburgh not only walked his daughter down the aisle using a walker, he also walked out of hospice alive, using a cane.

He said the personalized care and supportive atmosphere makes a world of difference for those who are dying and for those who do leave hospice alive.

乌鸦传媒淎fter six months there, I guess I graduated,乌鸦传媒� he joked.

Physicians gave him the all clear to go home.

乌鸦传媒淭he doctors are amazed about my recovery. I am too,乌鸦传媒� he said.

He has recently met with staff at the Langley Hospice to share some of the ideas he has for the new 15-bed stand-alone hospice planned for Langley.

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Hospice isn乌鸦传媒檛 run by the rules like a hospital, he points out.

乌鸦传媒淚f you want to bring in outside food because you don乌鸦传媒檛 like what乌鸦传媒檚 on the menu one day, they are OK with that. I like to wake up and have a warm cup of soup at night. The nurses accommodated that. They accommodate to the individual乌鸦传媒檚 needs and wants. It takes a special kind of person to be staff and volunteer at hospice.乌鸦传媒�

While there, Roxburgh implemented Float Fridays, which meant that every Friday, the staff would organize ice cream and pop and offer floats to residents who could have one.

乌鸦传媒淵ou乌鸦传媒檇 be amazed how many people have never had a float before,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Then he created Sunday Suppers once a month.

乌鸦传媒淎ll residents, family, friends, staff and volunteers were welcome. We乌鸦传媒檇 sometimes have 40 people there. Not everyone can take part, but everyone is welcome. For those who wanted food, they would have it brought to their room.乌鸦传媒�

Jane Godfrey, patient care co-ordinator at the Christine Morrison Hospice said Roxburgh left a legacy there.

乌鸦传媒淭im arrived with a prognosis that wasn乌鸦传媒檛 good. He had no appetite and couldn乌鸦传媒檛 do anything on his own. But he thrived here and before he left he was putting up Christmas decorations,乌鸦传媒� said Godfrey.

乌鸦传媒淲e allowed him to be the leader in his own care. We treat the whole person. We are passionate about honoring the patient乌鸦传媒檚 wishes and goals. It乌鸦传媒檚 been an honour to walk that journey with Tim.乌鸦传媒�

When people go to hospice they are receiving end-of-life care. Godfrey said the focus is about quality living and quality dying.

And at the hospice, they have the most beautiful garden Roxburgh said he has ever seen, adding it was his favourite place 乌鸦传媒� outside enjoying the flowers.

The garden motivated him to become mobile enough that he could visit it anytime he wanted without help. In the summer, he started photographing the flowers.

A bed in Langley opened up about three weeks into Roxburgh乌鸦传媒檚 stay at Christine Morrison, but he turned it down.

乌鸦传媒淚 was really happy in Mission,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Roxburgh got to know the 乌鸦传媒榤arvelous乌鸦传媒� staff and 乌鸦传媒榓mazing乌鸦传媒� volunteers who he described as a constant form of support.

乌鸦传媒淭he way the staff and volunteers work together. It乌鸦传媒檚 an amazing system,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Godfrey agrees. She has been there since 2005 and notes that there is little turnover of staff because they are so passionate about their work.

Each room is private, with a TV, telephone and wifi, offering a home-like setting. And unlike a hospital, there aren乌鸦传媒檛 rules.

乌鸦传媒淚f a person really wanted a beer one night, it can be accommodated if the doctor says it乌鸦传媒檚 OK,乌鸦传媒� he said.

If you aren乌鸦传媒檛 able to get out of your room, volunteers come to you.

乌鸦传媒淭hey offer a blanket, to get you a cup of coffee, or just have a chat. Whatever it is you need, they make it happen,乌鸦传媒� he said.

In his working life, Roxburgh was a bus driver for more than 30 years and loved every day of it.

In fact, he乌鸦传媒檚 hoping to get back on the road.

乌鸦传媒淢y doctor OK乌鸦传媒檇 for me to take my Class 2 driver乌鸦传媒檚 test,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 looking forward to that.乌鸦传媒�

While some might choose to stay away from hospice after being one of the few people who can leave it alive, Roxburgh has already been back to visit and to attend a Sunday supper.