I've been doing some care work recently, helping to look after two elderly gentlemen. One who is still quite mobile and another that is bed bound. It's work that I enjoy, but also one that can be challenging at times. Especially when it's end of life care. I personally think, that it's important to respect the persons wishes that you are caring for. Especially when their quality of life has really deteriorated and they have given up on life.
It's not easy seeing someone like that. And I have seen it a few times, down through the years. But it's also understandable. But we live in a world, where we want to prolong everything. Especially life.
A world, where death is too heavy a topic for some. One they they don't want to discuss. Doing all they can to avoid it. Yet it's a very important part of life.
I get it, it can be hard to accept, hard to let life go, hard to let those we love go. Why spend your time talking about something you have no control over. Which of course is true, when it comes to one's own death. But we can control our reaction to the process of death. How we choose to spend our time, around our loved ones.
Too many times, I have seen people being left alone when they are faced with death. Having no one but carers by their side. Their family, not present. Not there to hold their hand, stroke their face. To try and ease this transition.
So as a carer, I try. But it's not the same. That's what breaks my heart the most. Not the passing itself, but the fact that so many transition into death, estranged from their families. That's the biggest challenge for me.
I would love to see more people open up about death and start to have conversations about it. So that we begin to accept and honour it. So that we can plan for it and be prepared, how best we can support those we love. Instead of denying that it is occurring and leaving those who are dying, isolated and alone. No carer can take the place of a loved one, no matter how hard we may try.
