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| December 1999 Hospice Care Faith Liu takes care of the terminally ill, giving them the courage to face death By Angel Hau Article from the same
section: Terminally ill patients are no longer desperate. Getting prepared to die may be better than waiting to die. Faith Liu tells patients that death is not as horrible as it appears to be. Liu is a nurse specialist in hospice care at Nam Long Hospital, which is the only hospital specialized in hospice care for terminally ill cancer patients in Hong Kong. The Outstanding Staff Award winner of the Hospital Authority has been taking care of cancer patients for nearly 14 years. When asked why she was called “Faith Liu”, she said, “A foreign patient asked me if I had an English name. I told him that I didn’t. Then, he called me ‘Faith Liu’ because he said that the name fit me. After that, everybody called me Faith Liu.” After graduating from nursing school, Liu worked in the intensive care department in a public hospital for 3 years. Then she went to England alone and stayed for about a year. “A family provided me with lodging. In return, I worked voluntarily in their hospital, taking care of cancer patients,” said Liu. Liu found what she really wanted to do there. She is called a “chatting nurse” because she goes to the patients’ bedsides and talks to them and listens to them. “We help them prepare for death mentally and spiritually,” said Liu. Liu also helps patients’ families go through these most difficult moments. “Patients and their families need support from each other,” said Liu. “But they usually find supporting each other difficult at such moments. We need to help them.” Liu emphasizes that professionalism is acquired through experience and evaluation. When she was in England, she met a cancer patient whom she described as “restless”. He was so anxious about death that he could not calm down. “I told him that he was dying when I first talked to him. I did not help the situation, but made him even more restless. I realized how important communication technique is,” said Liu. There are about 200 patients in Nam Long Hospital, while the number of hospice nurses is around 70. Liu admitted that they lack manpower. “People may think that we take care of dying people and not much manpower is needed. But the truth is just the opposite. “Hong Kong people are profit-oriented. More resources are allocated to the patients who have a better chance of survival,” said she. Liu does not only have to care for the patients, but she also has to settle disputes between the patients and their families. One patient’s wife wore gloves and a mask when visiting her husband. Liu told her that doing so would hurt the patient’s feelings, as cancer was not an epidemic disease. Having talked to the patient’s wife, Liu found out that she did that because she did not love her husband. Her husband had physically assaulted her. She came to visit her husband because she thought that it was her responsibility, but nothing more. Liu tried convincing her to forgive the patient. But in the end, the patient died without his wife’s forgiveness. Although she found it a pity, Liu said that she knew how to console herself. Her another patient did not allow his son to visit him, as he did not want his son to see his weakness. He dared not let his son see him lying desperately on the bed. “But I wondered what his son would think,” said Liu. Liu said that he son might be too little to understand life and death, but he still wanted to see his father. Liu convinced him finally. He allowed his son to visit him and even let his little boy see him passing away. “I was happy to see him changing his attitude. At last, he bravely faced his son and the reality,” said Liu. “Making a difference in their lives adds value to my job.” Liu said that she had satisfaction in her job. A paralyzed patient of Liu loved swimming very much. Liu took her to another hospital one day, where she could swim in a pool. “She asked her family to bring everything to the hospital,” said Liu. “It was really a big event to her.” The patient was excited and she shivered when putting on the swimsuit. She actually could not swim much. Yet, she was very content. Liu asked the patient when she would like to swim again. The patient did not answer but smiled. A few days later, she passed away. “People know when they are about to die. I was glad to see this patient doing what she wanted before leaving the world,” said Liu. Liu would like to see hospice care tailor-made for everyone who needs it. |
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