End of Life: grief and bereavement
Life can take a while to wind down, with many a family preparing for last hours – only to find their loved one has rallied. This can take an emotional and physical toll on care-givers – both local and long distance.
Unlike past generations, many have only seen dying and death on television. Knowing what the body shutting down ‘looks’ and ‘sounds’ like, can make it less scary and often less upsetting for everyone involved.
But the ‘knowing’ doesn’t take away the pain of loss. Grieving often starts long before the end, and mourning and bereavement know no time limit.
My big brother, John, had the best possible end
My bro died at home, on Palliative/Hospice Care Although we did not know it at the time, my brother's 'end' started November 2018, with a brain tumour diagnosis. Surgery before Christmas that year was deemed 'successful' and John was in such good physical shape that...
Ricky’s mother had a ‘good death’
Of the three siblings, Ricky – the sole daughter – was closest to her mother, Anna. “When my marriage ended, my kids and I lived with my mother. We all adored her.” In the last three years of her life Anna- who died at age 91 – was beset by Dementia. “It was more than memory loss – it was her wonderful personality that vanished.” In spite of the pain of her beloved mother disappearing, Ricky took care of her until the end.
A beautiful death
“My mother was ‘dying’ for about 10 years – with her sickness, she seemed often on the brink of death, and then she’d rally. We’d all said our goodbyes a number of times. But on the day she actually died, my father was in her bed, his arm around her, holding on to...
Personal Support Worker (PSW): caring at life’s end
Dealing with grief and End of Life as a Personal Support Worker Guest Post by Natrice Rese It's something that you are prepared for as a student. It is understood that as a caregiver, a PSW, you will maintain a distance, a separation, a formal kind of relationship...
