| While Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death, it accepts death
as the last phase of life just as birth is the first. When the
prospect of cure is no longer realistic, members of the hospice team
work together to ensure the dying process is as satisfying and
fulfilling as possible so patients can experience a peaceful and
appropriate death with dignity.
Traditionally a patient's death has been viewed as a failure on the
part of the medical profession. Since cure was the only
acceptable outcome, death was forbidden to enter the halls of the
hospital or nursing home. If a patient persisted in dying,
he/she was isolated and ignored and call lights went unanswered as
long as possible. None of the staff wanted to be reminded that
death could defeat all the latest medical technology. And
because dying patients also reminded staff members of their own
helplessness and inability to control what was happening, staff frequently
responded to such patients with anger, distancing, or the silence of
denial.
In hospice care, a death with dignity, sometimes referred to as an
"appropriate" or "good"
death, is seen not as a
failure but as a successful completion of the cycle of life.
Instead of letting our fears of uncontrolled pain or loss of control
rush us into ending life prematurely, or, on the other hand, letting
our fears of death lead to the prolonging of life as long as possible
regardless of its quality, the acknowledgment of death as part of the
cycle of life allows us to accept our life's natural ending.
Read about Pain and Pain Management
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