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Dying and the question of dignity
As a palliative care nurse, I have been privileged to be with many people at the time of their death. People of different ages, nationalities, professions and family histories, in homes, hospitals and aged care facilities. Dying is hard work, perhaps the hardest we will do; although living through the death of a person we love might be the toughest task of all.
And yet on the faces of people close to death and those around them, I have seen not just fear, sorrow and pain, but smiles, winks, joy and flashes of pure love, too. This writing is to share just a few of the many profound moments I have witnessed in my work, which I believe speak to our human dignity in a way that euthanasia and assisted suicide never could.
Date Time
1 in 10 palliative care-related services provided at home
The number of Medicare-subsidised palliative care services received by Australians in their own home almost doubled between 2015–16 and 2019–20, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Palliative care services in Australia, shows home visits for palliative care specialist services increased by an average of 18% annually over the 5-year period, with a total of 2,240 patients receiving home visits in 2019–20. However, most palliative care services continue to be received in a hospital or surgery, with these services increasing by 12% over the same 5-year period.
‘Providing palliative care-related services in the home can be important for people with a life-limiting illness and their families, enabling them to remain in or return to their preferred location,’ said AIHW spokesperson Ms. Sushma Mathur.
Courtesy of Cancer Council WA
With one in three Australians reporting they’ve had a family member receive palliative care, it’s important for all of us to have important conversations with our loved ones and determine the best plan to maintain their quality of life while dealing with a life-limiting or terminal illness.
National Palliative Care Week, which runs from Sunday 23 May to Saturday 29 May, seeks to raise awareness about the many benefits of quality palliative care.
This year, the theme is ’Palliative care… It’s more than you think!’, which highlights that palliative care is more than only end-of-life care and physical symptom management.