[ad_1]
Self-proclaimed rural emergency room and family doctor go viral after sharing disturbing image showing end of life farewell in age of COVID-19.
The doctor, who uses the Twitter handle @roto_tudor, shared a photo of a room full of iPads on racks. “These are iPad stations prepared for virtual ICU end-of-life visits by a palliative care physician I know. Jesus ”he wrote.
The tweet has gained more than 25,000 retweets since it was posted Thursday. It also generated a lot of comments.
“How terrible. Let people visit their dying loved ones! A wrote. “I was a patient in a covid room, alone, staring at the iPad on a stand for hours, knowing full well what it was for. It’s a terrifying experience that I have legitimately had PTSD. Please wear a mask and take care of yourself so you don’t have to experience it firsthand. ” another said.
Others shared their painful stories of saying goodbye to loved ones in this way. “On Monday my boyfriend said goodbye to his mom on an iPad. He didn’t have a last hug or just held her hand. He sat behind glass and held an iPad to try to avoid saying the same goodbyes with his elderly father. ” a person wrote. “I have rage. I can’t even be sad yet because I’m so angry. Another said, “I did the same with my mom on Thanksgiving Day. The pain of losing her is almost unbearable and it was so unnecessary.
The doctor, who did not respond to Yahoo Life’s request for comment, acknowledged the attention in the comments. “So it’s gotten weirdly popular, which isn’t my thing,” he says. “I have nothing to promote. But you can donate money to a food bank or call an old friend and see how they’re doing. “
The tweet and the stories it inspired to share raise many questions about what it’s like to say goodbye through technology.
Dr. Martha Twaddle, medical director of palliative medicine and supportive care at Northwestern Medicine-Lake Forest Hospital, tells Yahoo Life that the pandemic has completely changed the practice of palliative care. “Palliative care focuses on the critically ill and their families, seeing patients and their families as a unit of care,” she says. “Before the pandemic, families were an integral part of the team. During the tours, they were at the bedside. It does not happen now.
Twaddle says that “the whole model of care has been tilted so that we are trying to provide care for a critically ill person who we may not know well, who cannot communicate due to the severity of their illness – and we don’t. t have a family member at the bedside to help us see the big picture of who they are and what makes them feel good.
Related video: Palliative care doctor uses technology to bring patients’ loved ones to them
Dr. Diane Portman, president of supportive care medicine at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., Also says standard protocols have changed. “Normally we facilitate discussions to support the patient and family by having family meetings to review options,” she says. “During COVID, with visitor restrictions in place, we provide an even more intense level of personal attention, as we are among the only links to the outside.”
Portman says his medical center also relies heavily on tablets, computers and phones to connect families with loved ones. “We have adapted to discuss life and death issues with family members of patients over video conferencing platforms, as we share information and help them and our patients cope. illness, bereavement and life-threatening bereavement, ”she said.
When it comes to saying goodbye, Twaddle’s organization has been able to secure additional PPE to allow two or three loved ones to have a “compassionate visit” to say goodbye. “We keep them safe, but we allow them to visit,” she said. Unfortunately, some family members and loved ones have yet to say goodbye through tablets. “Whenever possible, we use these devices, especially when we have fairly large family systems or for vulnerable family members where it would not be in their best interests to see their loved one in person,” she said. .
Portman says Moffitt Palliative Care has applied “valuable talking cards” when “they must guide a family member over the phone or by video to say goodbye to a dying patient. One of those, she says, is the acronym LOVE, which stands for Leading the Way, Delivering the Five Things that Most People Matter, Validating What They Mean, Expecting Emotion.
Twaddle admits that the pandemic – and saying goodbye during it – is difficult for everyone, especially when it has to be done from a distance. “This video chat is so important,” she says. “Family members need to see what’s going on, but it hurts. I can’t imagine what it must be like, dropping someone off in the emergency room and saying goodbye to a device. “
For the latest news and updates on the coronavirus, follow to https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those with compromised immune systems continue to be at greatest risk. If you have any questions, please consult the CDC and WHO resource guides.
Learn more about Yahoo Life
Want to get lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? register here for the Yahoo Life newsletter.
[ad_2]
Source link