One of the authors of the recently published book 'The Last Steps Towards Death', Soongheei Voigt, tells VALE Designs that Palliation means 'cloak' and the idea is that the team puts a protective cloak around the patient and their relatives while they are in the unit.
Soongheei Voigt continues:
Our experience with Palliation is that many people think that when we talk about Palliation, it is the last step before death.
Reality is different.
We want to spread Palliation and we want politicians to focus much more on Palliation. We want many more people to be able to benefit from our presence and that we as a society will intervene much earlier with Palliation when people become ill.
Soongheei Voigt, author
Today, we experience that when sick people in need of palliation get the help they need, for example in a palliative care unit, for example, they can be discharged to their own home, better equipped than when they were hospitalized. Both as a patient and as a relative.
Many people are hospitalized due to pain, breathing difficulties, or other symptoms that can be alleviated, and if a family member / spouse / or child has been a caregiver, they may need a break as it is an exhausting process to be in. In these situations, you can get help for relief, so you may be better able to cope with being at home for a period of time.
We have experienced a number of people who have not wanted to go to a palliative care unit or be part of a palliative care team that can go to their own home because they fear that life is over.
On the contrary, we have experienced that when these people are connected to Palliation either at home or in a ward, they are both grateful and happy for the help they have received. Because they can be discharged with better energy and a sense of security that they are now connected to professionals who can help them when needed.
'The Last Steps Towards Death' is written from the personal experiences of two palliative care nurses.
Authors Anne-Mette Hansen and Soongheei Voigt believe there is a lack of knowledge about what you go through with a life-threatening illness. Both as a patient and as a carer. The concept of bereavement is a relatively new concept that has emerged among the population.
VALE Designs would like to take this opportunity to thank Soongheei Voigt for sharing her insights and experiences. It is incredibly important to be offered help in a difficult situation, but also a gift to dare to accept.
