"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die."
As I wanted to share this on our Blog because it speaks to me as a volunteer for the Edith Ellen Foundation but also because I believe it incorporates what our vision is. I started doing some research into this wonderful quote and found that it was by an inspirational lady called Dame Cicely Saunders who sadly passed away in 2005.
This one quote took me to St Christopher's Hospice and delving further to a brilliant article called 7 Ways to Honour Living and Dying with Dementia which I wanted to share with you all.
Here are seven ways to honour those living and dying with dementia:
1) know with certainty that they there,
always, until the very end and beyond. It may be more difficult to see
past the external manifestations of the disease, but it’s even more
critically important to let them shine.
2) respect their rights,
especially the right to express themselves in whatever way they can –
an angry word, a piece of resistance or a single breath may embody the
experiences or wisdom of a lifetime.
3) listen carefully using all your
senses, including your sixth sense, to connect with their soul and their
spirit; let your broken heart be an open heart.
4) love them for who they are now, don’t waste a moment wishing they were somebody they were once upon another time.
5) celebrate their life while they’re
still living, even as you grieve their imminent departure. Remember
there will be plenty of time for mourning when they’re gone.
6) smile readily, laugh lightly, sing
sweetly, touch gently, experience freely, hold tenderly, love
boundlessly, and perhaps most important, let go gracefully.
7) understand the loss is in us.
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