An attempt to answer these questions was made by Puckie Hospice pw. st. Padre Pio, who launched the "Last moments of happiness" campaign. As part of the campaign, a special report on dying well was also prepared.
"The Last Moments of Happiness" is a social campaign organized by Puckie Hospice, aimed at triggering a discussion on dying well, and above all on the importance of the dying people's needs.
In our culture, the topic of dying is superseded, forgotten, we make it a taboo. This is favored by the progressive medicalisation of death in Poland.
More than half of Poles die in hospitals, where their last days and hours of life more and more often pass in a strange environment, without the possibility of noticing their last desires, sometimes in physical and mental suffering. This is often the reason why we experience enormous stress after a loved one has passed away.
Dying is a stage in life
And dying is not only death, but above all a phase of life. How often do we ask our loved ones at such moments about their needs, desires and dreams? When people are diagnosed with termination of causal treatment, they remain fearful and powerless. Hope remains. It is important that it can become a hope for good quality time in the last stage of life.
This quality is ensured by palliative and hospice care.
The creators of the campaign want to change their thinking, open people to the fact that we can live better and die better thanks to being mindful of the needs of others. Realizing how important a role we - our relatives play in good death! It depends on us what quality this time will be.
We sick don't need comfort at all. We need closeness. We need a message: do not be afraid, I am with you, I love you, I will never leave you.
ks. Jan Kaczkowski
We do not want to go on long journeys before we die
He althy people, when asked about their last dreams before they die, mention in 37% about long journeys and exploring the world. About 10% about extreme sports. Reality is different. In the face of a serious illness - as employees of the Hospice of St. st. Padre Pio - the dreams of the sick mainly concern relationships and being close with beloved people. The departing people still try to taste life, to emphasize beingneeded for others, they want to talk, say goodbye, mend relations.
- Dreams are limited by the state in which he is sick. The patient's condition can change from moment to moment. I had a situation where you felt well during the day, she talked, her family visited her. During the night, the condition worsened. I saw that the process of leaving had begun. The first snow fell outside the window. I ran out and got your snowflakes. It was an impulse, it is impossible to explain. I saw laughing eyes, she was so happy. It was a real joy at the last moment - says Agnieszka Wejer, nurse.
We hope you are lucky. 47% of people think that it is possible to be happy in the last stage of life, in the terminal phase of the disease.
Hospice does not die
The "Last Moments of Happiness" campaign also aims to educate people about medicine and palliative care, as lack of knowledge often results in suffering for patients and their relatives.
It is important to change the misperception of hospices, eliminate misconceptions related to the perception of such facilities as "mortals".
Hospice is a place where:
- a group of professionals will take care of the sick and their relatives and will try to meet all their needs during this time;
- thanks to medical and caring help, a person does not have to suffer physically, existentially and spiritually;
- the dying person is provided with care and attention to their needs, cordiality, freedom to decide about themselves, dignity;
- eat something good, stay with your beloved pet, light a cigarette, meet your loved ones;
- Opiela in the hospice is completely free (you only need to have insurance).
- I often ask my patients what they do or have done professionally, what has been going on in their lives, and who visits them. I remember the story of a patient, a pavement and alcoholic by profession, who had long neglected and abandoned his family. He spent many years on the streets and in nursing homes, despised, unwanted, dirty, lonely. Here, it's clean, fragrant, talked to, massaged. The words of this very simple man were touching: "I did not think that in my life I would meet such happiness as here at your hospice. I feel like a human being. Normally you have returned my dignity …" - says Małgorzata Regosz-Kaczkowska, doctor, director development of the hospice in Puck.
More informationDetailed information about the campaign can be found at: https://hospitium.org/ostatnie-chwile-szczescia/