Tuesday, January 11, 2011

HOW TO RELATE TO A DYING PERSON

So often, if a loved one is dying, we feel that we are doing him/her a favor by not talking about his/her impending death.  If the patient asks, "Am I dying?", a natural response from a loved one might be, "Of course not!  Don't be ridiculous!" And then the loved one will change the subject. But that response prevents the dying person from tying up loose ends, mending broken relationships or saying things  he/she might want to say.  It's so important to take the patient's lead in discussing death.  If he/she wants to talk about it, by all means, grant him/her the opportunity!
"Not talking about death to a dying patient is like not talking about birth to a pregnant woman."

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About Me

Dallas, TX, United States
I am an educator and consultant, in the field of loss and grief. I love educating others, as well as learning from them, about life's little and big, happy and sad losses: marriage, divorce, moving away, losing one's health, aging gracefully.....or not......death of a loved one, a pet, a dream, children growing up and parents having to let go, etc. etc. Hopefully, you get the picture. Let's laugh, cry and learn together!

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