Irish Hospice Foundation
Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care
21
Oʙering condolences and words of comfort When a person has died, it is important that staff members acknowledge the death and offer their condolences to their relatives and friends. is may cause anxiety about what to say and how to say it, and worry about causing further upset to those who are grieving the death of a loved one. Here are some tips that might help: • It is really important to acknowledge the loss: “I am very sorry that your mother has died”. “ Please accept my sincere condolences”, “You are in my thoughts”. • Remember, even though the death may have been expected, it can still come as a shock. “Death is always a shock, even when it is expected” . • Offer support : “I am here for you” , “Is there anything I can do to help you?”, “Is there anything that you need?”, “Would you like me to call someone (priest/faith leader/family member/friend)?”. • Remind them that there is no need to rush anything or make any decisions right now. • It can help to talk about the person “It has been an honour looking after your mother”, “I am going to miss her”. • Remember that the majority of the impact of our communication comes from our non-verbal messaging. Be present. Sometimes words are not necessary; just being there for another person can be enough.
ings to avoid saying:
• “I know how you feel”. You can never know how another person feels.
• “At least…..”. (For example: “At least the suffering is over”, “At least the pain has stopped” ). Saying ‘at least’ can diminish the gravity of the death for someone. • “ ey have gone to a better place”, “He/she is happy now”, “ ey had a good innings”, “He/she was a good age”, “You have an angel in heaven”, “He is gone/passed/expired”, “ ings could be worse…” Most staff will not be delivering bad news about end of life. However, it is important for all staff to know how it can be delivered well because we can all have a supporting role to play. e animation below can offer some guidance on how to do this.
Delivering Bad News is short animation gives five steps to help you deliver bad news. It is suitable for health and social care professionals or first responders who may have to deliver bad news as part of their job.
Communication 2
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker