Irish Hospice Foundation
Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care
1
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3
1. Dying in Ireland ........................................................................................... 4 Helpful deʚnitions ................................................................................... 5
2. Communication ........................................................................................... 7
Getting the basics right .......................................................................... 7
Communicating through personal protective equipment (PPE) ..................................................................................... 10
Breaking bad news ................................................................................. 11
Breaking bad news over the phone ...................................................... 13
Breaking bad news that a person has died ....................................... 15
Breaking bad news that a person has died over the phone ............... 17
Giving bad news to children ................................................................. 18 Answering diʜcult questions ................................................................ 18 Dealing with conʛict ............................................................................. 20 Oʙering condolences and words of comfort ..................................... 21
3. End-of-Life Care Planning and Preparation .......................................... 22
Advance care planning ......................................................................... 22
Advance Healthcare Directives ............................................................ 24
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker