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Until recently, palliative care was a somewhat neglected area of medicine, however, there is a growing recognition that there often comes a stage in a patient's treatment when the emphasis needs to shift from cure to care. The Catholic Bishops' Conference (CBCEW) recently shared a number of testimonies from those who care for and support the dying, including an account by Dr Lynn Bassett, a retired Healthcare Chaplain who worships at St Wilfrid's Church, Selsey, in the Parish of Our Lady and the Saints of Sussex. Lynn writes:

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“It was my privilege, as a hospital chaplain for over 14 years, to be alongside the sick and dying and those close to them. I met many courageous and inspiring people: even now, they live on in my memory and they have surely influenced my own perspective on life and mortality.

"Without wishing to underestimate the value of time spent with people at any age or stage of life, there is something about the immediacy of an earthly life drawing to a close which brings urgency and intensity to the encounter. Relationships and conversations deepen more swiftly; there is no time, or energy, to waste on idle chat. Often the sense of liminality is palpable and, in that space where the boundaries between heaven and earth begin to blur, God’s presence feels very near."

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Dr Amy Gadoud, Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Lancaster University Medical School, also bears witness to her vocation and to the possibility of helping people "to live well until their death":

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“I always wanted to be a doctor from a very young age. I quickly discovered palliative care, focusing on the relief of symptoms for people who are seriously ill or nearing the end of their lives. I have never looked back. What I love about working in this field is the opportunity to see and work with all aspects of a person, together with their family and those close to them – we do not just focus on a disease or condition.

When people are in need of palliative care, it is a hugely challenging and difficult time for them. But, working with people’s unique strengths and circumstances, we can help people to live well until their death and we can support their family in bereavement.  

God and faith are rarely explicitly mentioned in my work. But I see God in the patients, their families, and in how they respond to these difficult circumstances. As faith is an essential part of me, I bring it to my work. I would not have seen this work as a vocation initially, but I do now.”

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Click here to read further reflections, written by a parish priest and former hospice chaplain, a nurse and poet; and the Membership Development Officer for the End of Life Companionship Project at the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.

Source: CBCEW