COMMUNICATION AT TIME OF DEATH
LANGUAGE TO AVOID It must be a blessing that he / she has died. He lived a long, good life. You’ll have other children. I know how you feel. Cheer up, life is for living. Don’t dry. You’ll get over it. POSITIVE LANGUAGE I want to answer your questions. Sit in silence. Tell me about him / her. Tell a positive story of what he / she did for you or how you know him / her. NEWS OF DEATH ON PHONE
6 STEPS FOR PRONOUNCING DEATH 1. PREPARE Contact nurse. What happened? Who is here? 2. PERCEPTION What do they know? “Tell me what you understand” “What happened?” 3. PREPARE I need to examine him / her to confirm that death has occurred. Family can be present 4. EXAMINE Pupils fixed or dilated? Absence of respirations (observe) Absence of heartbeat (auscultate) Absence of response (touch) No need to assess deep pain response 5. EMOTION Manage acute grief SILENCE is the most effective initial response “What questions do you have?” “I can see you are sad,
CONDOLENCE CARD 1. Write in long hand
Sit down. Don’t rush. Best done in person. “There’s been a change,
2. Statement of condolence 3. Statement of what you observed patient to be 4. Tell any pertinent story from your direct care 5. Statement of admiration, praise for the care family gave; the love they showed 6. Say something that you will always remember about the patient
please come to the hospital” 1. With whom am I speaking? 2. Who is there with you? 3. Warning shot: I have bad news 4. Tell of the death 5. Wait in silence, respond to emotion 6. Invite to come to see the body. Determine who is the decision- maker for final arrangements
Tell me what you are feeling” “Tell me what you are thinking”
6. SUBSEQUENT What next? Make a plan, get information, get help
41 NB: These Reference Cards do not replace careful clinical judgment specific to each patient / family situation. PCIC: Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Curriculum is a collaborative effort of OhioHealth, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, USA, and other contributors. Permission to reproduce any or all of these PCIC Reference Cards is granted for non-commercial educational purposes only, provided that the attribution statement and copyright are displayed. To reproduce for all other purposes, contact Frank D. Ferris at info@pallmed.us. Copyright © Frank D Ferris 2013-2024. All rights reserved. V14.1, 2024
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