ARS moriendi - thoughts on "life before death"
This doll belongs to a resident interviewed by us in the hospice Advena, Wiesbaden.
The death overtakes every person - regardless of how he controlled himself leads his life. In dying, he comes up against the impassable limits of his self-determination. The death is perceived as prestigious as the opposition to modern life - dying and death as a loss of human autonomy. Is it possible to reduce this loss in part? One way is to be the so-called living will. One does not want a soulless, impersonal medical equipment to deliver, you want to last in control of your life - keep - and dying.
Some seriously ill realize this self-determination with a trip to Dignitas. At least the time of death shall be chosen. They be accompanied by reporters, capturing the last moment. You can be sure of media interest. Assisted suicide or euthanasia remain a taboo in spite of modernity. Newspapers, television formats and film production business, increasing to the issues that revolve around the uncertainty at the end of life: growing aging with the disease and - for all recognized advances in medicine - many fears apparatus Medi cine, the being left alone, the feeling of imposition on the relatives gene. They stand as metaphors for the perceived risks of uncontrollable, the loss of autonomy.
experiences of palliative care physicians and managers in hospices, however, show a very different, yet much neglected aspect in the media: Those who accept the finitude of life, for death is also acceptable. For the rest, let the most "death wishes" as fears suggest, which can be treated accordingly. The experiences of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has shown in 1969 that the dying are very well able to make last-Le to benszeit positive. It has in words and pictures to individual documents Schick salen how to make the "life before death" for themselves and others available can.
We try in conversations with doctors, particularly in palliative care and hospice, with nurses, nurses and experts (also for burial, mourning Pastoral) on the "Ars Moriendi" on ways to dignified dying now talk.
Our main focus is, however, the talks with the sick and dying. We let them act in the world of the "guests / residents. We have taken su-chen concerned, which is a particular attitude toward their approaching end of life. Upon request, we accompany them on their way to vorzuberei for death-ten, we would like Understand how to practice to everyday life, their families, their favorite things and people let go.
Since we do not know how the dying process will run in the individual can take place, the discrete-life care with the camera in close, trusting cooperation with the responsible companions (and possibly also to the families). expect to have personal education of the crucial final stages of life. We let ourselves be touched by the mystery of life and death.
In January 2008
Sonja Toepfer and John Beckerman