End of life is not about traveling to the Elephant Grave Yard but is about quality of life. Good pastoral care is about helping people have a quality existence that treats the entire person.
Many myths exist about palliative and hospice care. Those trained in Pastoral Thanatology understand that pastoral care of the dying is about treating the person not the illness. While other myths exist about palliative care, one should not necessarily see it as the end of the road but instead a transition to another life with the care needed to help one not just physically, but also emotionally
I do believe that many are beginning to see pass previous misconceptions of palliative care and are beginning to see the benefits and joys of being treated as full human being instead of merely the symptoms. Many also find joy in finding solace in their last days at home. This is truly a blessing for many and should be universally more applied. No one, unless it is a medical must, wishes to suffer and die in a hospital.
In the meantime, enjoy our blog which has additional articles on Pastoral Thanatology and Pastoral Care. You can also visit our grief counseling page for similar information on helping the dying. We also have Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter pages to review.
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