A New Trend – Vigiling Services

Unfortunately, many patients are going to end up dying alone in the hospital, either because the rest of their family has died first or they are private people without any friends or family. I don’t know if you have heard of this but hospices across the country are providing a wonderful service. It is called vigiling. The hospice sends volunteers over to their local hospitals to sit with the patient who is dying alone. As much as nurses try very hard to be present for the dying, they have many patients to care for and can’t stay just in one room. So the volunteers sit in shifts and stay with the person until they die. Of course, these volunteers are highly trained and work cooperatively with the doctors and nurses. How wonderful. This patient has someone present in case they need help as they die and they do not have to feel lonely and afraid.

Now people who work with the dying would say that people live as they die. So if you have been a mean and hurtful person, then you may die alone. Or if you have lived a social life with lots of friends, then you will die surrounded by friends. Your death depends on your life.

No matter what, vigiling is still a good thing to do. People should not have to die in fear or in pain. We don’t know what brought this person to this moment in their life because we don’t know their story. And they are probably too ill to tell us about their life’s journey. Ultimately, we should show compassion and give our patients comfort as they die.

Have a kind and respectful day.