Preparing for Passing: Care Givers
Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, April 29 and June 10, 2007
Show 411
Not everyone is prepared to deal with being present someone they love to pass away, and sometimes it happens so quickly you don't even have to time to think about it. "I was present at the time of my father's death. My whole family was. There's nothing that could ever prepare you for that moment when they let go," says Sharon, whose father passed away from cancer two years ago. "Going back it was probably the most bittersweet moment of my life and I wouldn't have changed anything about all of us being there and being together, being there for him in his last hours," says Sharon. But sometimes being present at the time of death just isn't for everyone. Dr. Jamie Huysman says "It all depends upon whether a person's emotional and spiritual reserves are ready for this." Dr. Huysman suggests families talk about what will happen and who wants to be present at the time of death if you have time to prepare yourself. For people who choose to be there, Dr. Huysman says, "It's an incredible process, because you're not only there for the person who's actually passing over, but you're also there for the grieving, the people around, and that's life changing."
