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Irish Hospice Foundation
Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care
Step 2: Make a good connection •
Introduce yourself; tell them your name and your role. • Ask them to take a seat. Sit down yourself and ensure your body language is open and calming and you maintain a good level of eye contact. • Build on their current understanding – this will be dependent on the circumstances surrounding the death. “Can you tell me what you understand about your mother’s condition?”, “Can you tell me what you have been told so far?” • Take your cue from their current knowledge about what information gaps you may need to fill. Step 3: Prepare them, and then be gentle as you deliver the news • Prepare them for what is coming next: “I wish I had better news to give you today”, “Unfortunately, I have some very bad news for you”. • Pause. Allow the information to land. • Gently deliver the news using clear simple language and avoid jargon and euphemisms. “Your mother has died”. • Use the words dead and died. While this may seem blunt, it avoids the confusion that euphemisms like ‘passed’ and ‘passed away’ might cause.
Step 4: Acknowledge the shock
• Even if the news was anticipated, hearing the confirmation can be a shock. It is important to acknowledge the emotional impact of the news. - “I can see this is a big shock for you”. • Give the person time; allow a silent pause. • ere is often a temptation to provide more information following the delivery of the bad news. However, in this situation it is important to allow time for the news to be absorbed. • Encourage the expression of emotion that comes as a reaction to the news. Allow silent pauses.
Communication 2
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