Palliative care physician Dr. Mike Harlos gives advice to other palliative care doctors and nurses on how to best support people who are dying, as well as their family members and friends who may be going through the process with them. I love Dr. Harlos’s wisdom and gentle manner, which I have also featured here, and here I wish I had known of these videos before I sat by my mother’s side as she took her final breaths.
According to Dr. Harlos, there are three important things people should remember if they can’t be with a loved when he or she is dying:
- Not being in the room at the time of death does not mean you are absent at the time of death
- You are connected in spirit and in soul to the people you love
- Connection does not require physical proximity