Hospice nurse’s main aim is to give hope

MBOMBELA – One would think that, being a hospice nurse, is one of the most depressing professions as none of your patients survive. However, local nurse,

Ms Marinda Olckers has devoted the past four years of her life to the city’s hospice, providing love as a service, adding quality to life and most of all – giving hope.

She is also eradicating the many misconceptions surrounding hospice and the care it offers. The Nelspruit Hospice is a non-profit organisation which provides quality home-based palliative care to people with life-threatening illnesses. According to the World Health Organisation, palliative care can be defined as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses. This is achieved through the prevention and relief of suffering, the early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems – physical, psychosocial and even spiritual.

Olckers is a professional nurse who provides above-mentioned support regardless of race, disease, religion or socio-economic background. However, there are a few misperceptions people have when they hear the word hospice. According to her, many believe that all hospice patients will die, which is not the case.

“We are there for patients every single step of the way – since they are diagnosed until the end of everyone’s unique road, whether it is the road to recovery or up to the person’s very last day. We make sure they live life to the fullest by providing the best possible support, not only to patients but also their families, – whether through apparatus, professional services (medically and mentally), spiritual support, pain management and even legal assistance and advice.

She says the reason for this stigma might be due to the fact that, in so many cases, they are informed about the patient’s diagnosis in an advanced stadium. Nonetheless, the personnel of hospice do everything they can to make this journey as smooth as possible.

This is only achievable by working closely with 13 different professional organisations. These include doctors, social workers, dietitians and occupational therapists, among others.

This support, says Olckers, also helps her to continue doing what she does best. Being closely involved with people suffering from life-threatening diseases can from time to time effect one emotionally, but always keeping their purpose in mind – to give hope – and working together as a team, keeps them going.

Olckers believes another great benefit people can enjoy from the service hospice provides is their highly effective bereavement groups. Bereavement refers to the period of grief and mourning after someone had passed away. It is described as a “normal process of reacting to a loss”, whether through a mental, physical, social or emotional reaction.

“We highly recommend family members who have lost someone to join the bereavement group. Many people do not always realise what they are going through when they are in a situation that goes hand in hand with trauma, such as a person suffering from a life-threatening disease. Hospice Nelspruit is currently (busy) with its ninth bereavement group. Another very important service they deliver is to help those diagnosed with life- threatening diseases and their family not to fear death.

“People should remember that at the end of the day each and every one of us will die. Death is inevitable – just as birth. But the more you know about it, the better you will understand it,” CEO of Nelspruit Hospice, Mary Lebotschy said.

And apart from giving hope, this is exactly what hospice does. If you would like to get in touch with the Nelspruit Hospice you can contact them on 083-900-8408 or reception@nelspruithospice.co.za