Chapter Eight: Loss and Grief Revisited

This is a Reflective Practice Exercise on dealing with loss and grief as revisited by someone you are visiting

Objective: to learn as a team from actual case studies by discussion and sharing relevant personal experience.

Format:

A.  Facilitator ditributes a case study for discussion in groups

B.  The Reflective Group are split into groups of four

C.  The groups of four read and discuss the case study

D. Allow for a short plenary to end the session

Timing: Allow 30 minutes

Reflective Exercise : Case study on Loss Revisited

The chaplain visits a Hospice Single Room. She knocks on the open door and enters.
Chaplain: “Good morning! May I come in?”
The patient puts down her magazine and invites the Chaplain in.
Chaplain: My name is X,  I am one of the chaplaincy team.
Patient returns the greeting, smiles and says ‘Oh yes.’
Chaplain: I’ve come to visit this morning…to talk and offer a bit of support during your stay.
Patient invites the Chaplain to sit.
Chaplain: Thank you that is kind of you. What sort of a day are you having today?
Patient: I feel OK actually. I’m here because of my pain, it’s gone haywire, they are trying to settle it down.
Chaplain: Can that be done with medication or will you need surgery?
Patient: Hopefully not..the medication seems to be working.
Chaplain: That’s good. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before you can go home. Do you have anyone at home to keep an eye on you?

Patient: No I’m a widow. I lost my husband over 15 years ago. One minute I was talking to him the next he was gone, it was one of those ‘embolism’ things. There was nothing anyone could have done. It was a big shock. My son was only 12 at the time. He has grown up now with children of his own.
Chaplain: Do you see him much?
Patient: Yes, he lives nearby, I love seeing the grandchildren, they are coming in this afternoon. They keep me going.  I’ve three sisters and we are all close, although I lost one sister three years ago. I miss her very much.

Tears begin to flow down the patient’s cheek….

Group question for discussion:

What may be the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of this patient and how may they be addressed?

 To conclude, this patient needed to talk about the loss of her sister and her husband. You may like to use this story for a period of theological reflection on how you understand suffering and its impact on us as human beings and faith.