A hospital helps an elderly lady during her last days:

[Are_grits_groceries]

@Powerful_Pics:
A hospital allowed this lady's cat to visit her during her last days.

sigh........

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Makes me cry, so beautiful

[darkangel218]

2. ...

Sometimes I think I won't make a good nurse because I feel too much

They told us we have to disassociate emotionally from the clients and treat them professionally.

Well, how does that work , when my tears fall down my face

[postulater]

4. They are wrong.

Compassion is the driver behind the best professional care-givers.

You'll be the one to make the next dying old woman comfortable.

That is what counts.

[darkangel218]

6. .

[razorman]

7. I do not believe that it is very 'cut-and-dried'.

Compassion is absolutely necessary to be a really good care-giver, but you have to be able to detach enough emotionally to function effectively. One has to find a middle ground.

[Scootaloo]

9. They're right, actually

You're right, compassion is important. No one will ever tell you otherwise.

But forming emotional bonds will chew you up and spit you out. I've seen co-workers fall apart when a resident who they've grown to know and love passes on. it can be like losing a best friend, or a relative sometimes. It can tear you up and break you down. That is what you are told to avoid. It's almost inevitable, but still, it's what they tell you.

[a kennedy]

14. "Compassion is the driver behind the best professional care-givers."

and isn't that really what's supposed to make us human?? What a beautiful picture.......

[nolabear]

25. Yeah, about that.

There's now a sub specialty in the therapy field helping caregivers who have had to deny their emotions when dealing with trauma and grief. There's a real art to letting yourself feel while respecting the patient's and Family's rights to their own feelings, which may be far different from yours. Colleague support is vital and appreciating what you can and can't accomplish and forgiving everyone for being frail humans is, too. That's how we therapists handle it, of we're smart and expect to last.

[MoonRiver]

31. Darkangel, you will be a wonderful nurse!

Humans need more compassion and love, and less detachment. You will give that, and soon the tears, representing empathy, will be replaced with a smile of joy as you see how much happiness you bring to patients. Go in the direction your heart leads you.

[forestpath]

3. Reminds me of the last two lines of Grieve Not by

Isla Fischer -

I loved you so
Twas Heaven here with you.

I hope her cat will be well taken care of and that she has other kitties to greet here wherever she's going.

[narnian60]

12. Yes. +1million

[bemildred]

5. Nobody should have to die alone.

(sniff)

[darkangel218]

8. .

Look at her smile.. she was so apeace. Her kitten burried her head into her mommy.

I'm so freaking speachless

[Hoyt]

10. Wow.

[Dustlawyer]

11. Now that is DYING WITH DIGNITY!!!

[malaise]

13. Lovely

[lapislzi]

15. Dammit, there is something in my eye again.

Allergies, that's it

[asjr]

16. The rest of my day gives way to tears.

[niyad]

17. k and r for the beauty, the caring, the compassion.

[valerief]

18. What country? nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

19. Don't know.

Is that essential for this photo?

[valerief]

20. No, just curious. I figured it was probably a civilized country, not the U.S. nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

21. Ha!

I found the photo posted and reposted on Reddit and other sites, but no location was given. I gave up after a whle.

[nolabear]

26. It's actually getting far better here.

The value of pets in nursing homes and hospices has been well documented and increasingly approved.

[brer cat]

22. How peaceful she looks.

Thank you grits...you frequently make my day brighter.

[840high]

23. Openly weeping here. Beautiful.

[mucifer]

24. The inpatient unit of the hospice where I work allows pets to visit.

I do home visits. But, patients who are in the inpatient unit at the hospital where our hospice has a floor has the rules that pets can visit. It's not that uncommon.


I've seen many pets for adults and children give intensive therapy to them at home in their final days. It's amazing.

[fizzgig]

27. posted a link to this in the good news group

thanks, grits

[calimary]

28. NICE!

Really lovely! Animals are such a vital part of our lives.

[Wilms]

29. ^

[MoonRiver]

30. I hope when my time comes I can have a beloved animal companion with me.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.