For Palliative Care Week, from 22 – 28 May, we spoke to Lois, Head of Pastoral Care Residential about the important role the pastoral care team play when someone in their care is nearing end of life.
“Everybody is impacted during this very sacred and personal time in a person’s life. A resident receiving palliative care is our priority, and we work alongside our frontline teams, providing emotional and spiritual support, reassurance, and any prayers, songs or rituals desired by that person. We also prioritise the needs of their families and loved ones.
“Equally we are there for our teams who have been supporting that same person every day, and usually over a long period, developing their own unique relationship with the individual in their care. There’s a loss involved for them, too. I’m reminded of a famous saying: ‘You can’t walk in water without getting wet’, meaning in this instance – you can’t enter this sacred zone without being impacted. We’re privileged to bear witness to, and to honour a person when they leave this life.”
We also asked other pastoral care team members what they thought of HammondCare’s Last Days Program, which equips people with helpful tools and knowledge when caring for a loved one facing end of life.
Donna: “After participating in the pilot I believe it will be very valuable for families, taking a compassionate approach to end of life and how to tackle those difficult questions. Having the conversation early may mean you can be on the same page as your loved one – not being prepared can add to the complexity of an already challenging situation. An opportunity to be active and involved in the dying process can help with grief.”
Sarah: “I agree with Donna. Having conversations early can guide and empower residents and loved ones – it provides an opportunity for all voices to be heard as well. Planning in advance can help relieve the stress of making decisions as last days approach – a conversation starter, for the conversations that need to be had but may be difficult to start.”
Wendy: “What I loved about the program were the tools it provided for people to recognise when someone is dying; and explaining the difference between palliative care and end of life. I look forward to sharing the program with residents and their loved ones here in Scone.”
