Episode 12: The Palliative Care Nurse

We’re all on the same road, dear friends, the road to the grave. What are the stops along the way?

If you’re fortunate, one of the last saloons you’ll take a drink in will be a hospice. Then again, perhaps you’ll die at home. Who knows, right?

So what exactly is a hospice? What is palliative care, and why is it important?

Sr. Margot van der Wielen has been providing compassionate professional care to people and their families faced with life-limiting illness for the past twenty-five years, and currently heads a team of fantastic nurses who conduct home visits.

In this episode she shares her valuable perspective on end-of-life issues, and what it takes to increase quality of life for her patients. She also makes a strong case for morphine as part of effective pain management, sadly lacking in many places around the world.

Should we all be assured of such care, the prospect of going gently beyond the veil might be that much easier.

Thank you Sr. Margot and your team. You teach us how to live.