Irish Hospice Foundation
Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care
37
• Support colleagues after they have completed the after death care. Allow them a break to have a cup of tea or to get some fresh air. Allow them to reset themselves before they start their next task. • Encourage your team to reflect and share together to express how you feel about providing care after death.
End-of-life care ceremonial resources
A number of resources to support end-of-life care are available, for free and to purchase. Visit www.hospicefoundation.ie for more information.
Keepsafe pouch
A universally recognised symbol that indicates the end of life. It’s inspired by ancient Irish history and is not associated with any one religion or denomination. e three-stranded white spiral represents the interconnected cycle of life: birth, life and death. e white outer circle represents continuity, infinity and completion. Purple is the background colour as it’s associated with nobility, solemnity and spirituality.
Providing care for those who are grieving for a person who has died
Caring for people at the end of life can be challenging, particularly after a death has occurred.
Key messages: •
Acknowledge the loss: “ I am very sorry that your mother has died”. 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” . • Validate the person’s feelings – people can experience a range of emotions when someone dies, from shock, through sadness, to anger and disbelief. It is important to validate that the person’s feelings are normal and understandable given that their loved one has died. If someone who is bereaved expresses that they feel empty or angry or bewildered or nothing, you can respond by saying something like: “ at’s very understandable given what has happened to you.” or “ ose feelings are not unusual given what has happened. Can I do anything to help you?”
Death 5
Care after
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker