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Comfort for those in their final days
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Death is inevitable, but how one dies can have a huge impact on the quality of a person’s life in their final moments, and on the loved ones left behind.
Zhang Jieren, 63, died recently at Shengjing Hospital in northeast China’s Liaoning Province. The former police officer had seen many life and death situations, but when faced with his own mortality he was understandably upset.
His daughter introduced him to hospice professionals, so her beloved father could maintain his dignity and inner peace as his battle with cancer came to an end.
“My father-in-law died of cancer in 2011. He passed away comfortably surrounded by his wife and children in a hospice center,” Zhang’s daughter said. “If there is no way to cure my father, we want him to go with less pain.”
Hospices concentrate on the comfort of patients during the final stages of terminal illness rather than aggressive medical care. By foregoing treatment, patients can focus on having a better quality of life in the time they have left. Staff help prevent and relieve their pain and also offer emotional and psychological support for family members.
Hospice programs, widely accepted in many developed countries, are now being implemented at hospitals in major Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. Although the system is in its early stages, many have already benefited from it.
Staff at Shengjing Hospital’s hospice center are involved in the early treatment of terminally ill patients. They also provide support services for family members after the patient dies.
Wang Yumei, head of the center, said more than 50 percent of cancer patients suffer from anxiety and depression. Hospice programs can improve their state of mind and provide emotional support.
Wang quoted studies that show about 80 percent of patients want to know the truth about their condition. Yet only 40 percent of family members are willing to tell terminally ill patients bad news, she said.
“Hospices are sometimes more about caring for the relatives than the patients,” Wang said. “In China, there’s not much education on death, so we are here to fill that gap.”
She added: “People with terminal illnesses are walking alone on a dark, dangerous road. We hope to light a candle and replace the dangers with flowers to brighten the path for them.”
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