Still Much To Learn
by Belinda, Vic
Registerd Nurse, Aged 34
I work in a high care nursing home where I have the privillage of nursing people ( not all elderly) and their families in the final years of their life and through death. The saddest deaths are those that are sudden and unexpected as their is no time to prepare for the grieving process and to say your final goodbyes. Most people are at piece with knowing their time is coming and often welcome death. It is an amazing thing to be let in to peoples lives and to care for them as they pass over. There is obvious peace on their faces. It is at this time that we then need to remember to nurse and support the broken hearts of the families.
Australia has a lot to learn from many other cultures about caring for the dead and taking part in the cleansing of the body. We are all too ready to pass this responsability off to funeral directors. I urge people to look in to the contributions they can make for their loved ones after death. eg taking the body home, not rushing the funeral process, washing, dressing the body, hand painting the casket, photos, video footage.Lets slow the process down, create memories and honour our dead.
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