No one should die alone, it is said, but when life ebbs and flows in the hospital bed, relatives and carers do not always have the time or energy to sit constantly by the dying person. Long-term ill Kari takes her very last breath at the end of November 2022. Silence fills the patient room at Brøttum. Kathrine Skavnes and her sister received word from the nursing home two or three weeks earlier. The mother was on her way into the terminal phase and the daughters started commuting between Oslo and Brøttum. RECEIVED COURSE HELP: Kathrine Skavnes spent a lot of time with her sick mother Kari at the end, but couldn’t take time off from work as often as she wanted. Photo: private picture His health fluctuated up and down towards the end. The time at the deathbed is increasing. There would be sleepless nights and Kathrine and her sister were afraid to leave her. Finally, they accepted the vigil offer from the Red Cross. When death comes slowly Every year around 40,000 people die in Norway. Almost half of them fall asleep in a nursing home. Most people have someone by their side – either relatives or a slightly busy carer. But sometimes the old one dies without anyone being there. GRATITUDE IN MOURNING: Kari’s daughters fully praise the vigil service in Ringsaker. They took turns with the guards as it drew to a close. Photo: Ruth Barsten / news In the beginning it felt a little special to have a stranger at my mother’s deathbed. But now the daughters don’t get enough praise in red. After meeting the volunteer guards, both Kathrine and her sister became very comfortable going on rotations with them. – They have been extremely important to us, says Kathrine. Need more vigilantes Healthcare personnel work under great pressure across the country. The Red Cross Emergency Service constantly receives inquiries from the home service and nursing homes who want an agreement on assignments. A HAND TO HOLD: No one should die alone, says the Red Cross, and makes watchmen available to ensure safety and calm for both patients and relatives. Photo: Ragne Tysnes Hokstad With the wave of elderly people, and tight municipal budgets for elderly care, there will be an increasing need for watchmen. In Ringsaker, they had 550 watch hours in 2022. In January this year alone, the Stange and Ringsaker Red Cross watched for almost 90 hours. At about a third of all missions in Norway, a watchman from the Red Cross was present when death occurred. – No one should feel lonely in the very last part of life, says the vigil service’s father, Even Strømman, adviser at the Red Cross. THE WATCH SERVICE STARTED: Even Strømman is a passionate Red Cross volunteer. He got the idea from Denmark and started Norway’s very first vigil service in Eidskog and Moss in 2015 Photo: Ruth Barsten / news At the same time, the aid organization does not want voluntary efforts to be used as an argument for savings. There are different practices at the nursing homes and the Red Cross does not offer an on-call service where they have routines for calling in extra personnel. Strømman believes that politicians must take responsibility for budget priorities, then the Red Cross can try to stand up for those who need them. On duty when death comes slowly The retired pedagogue Brite Kandal stands up when the Vigil Service in Brøttum calls. She thinks it’s nice to be able to sit next to a completely unknown person who is about to die. FELLOW HUMAN BEING ON DUTY: Våker Brite Kandal (74) wishes with all his heart that the old will not have to die alone. Photo: Ruth Barsten / news The 74-year-old was widowed when she was young, and knows what it’s like to hear a person breathe, and then not breathe anymore. She can stand to look death in the eye. – It is just as strong every time, when I get to be present when they die, says Brite. Wearing a Red Cross jacket, the vigil is a fellow human being who offers closeness to the dying. Brite doesn’t feel particularly heroic. She only gets so happy inside when she can create security for the person who is going to die. Everything is on the patient’s terms. Brite has full attention on the dying person, and does not look at the TV or the mobile phone while she is awake. PEACEFUL ENDING: Ragnhild Tysnes (94) had all her children around her when she fell asleep quietly in August 2022. In the days before, her relatives went on a vigil with volunteers from the Red Cross. Photo: Ragne Tysnes Hokstad Some fall asleep quietly without drama, others are scared or restless. In the last phase of life, people are at their most vulnerable. In addition to being a fellow human being, the watchman is the staff’s eyes and ears. When Brite sees a change in the patient, she pulls the trigger and calls in the professional staff. Brite never leaves a dying patient alone in the room. – They have a presence that is completely unique The management at Brøttum nursing home is not worried that the on-call service can become a sleeping pillow in times of tight finances and understaffing. WATCHERS NEEDED: Anne Kari Bratberg at Brøttum nursing home calls the Red Cross’s watch service when they need someone extra to be present for dying patients. Photo: Ruth Barsten / news – The vigils represent a very special calm for the dying, says Kari Anne Bratberg, head of department at Brøttum nursing home. The permanent healthcare workers and nurses do not have the opportunity to provide the same type of presence in a busy everyday life, she believes. The head of department experiences the On-call service as absolutely invaluable for both the patient, their relatives and the staff at the nursing home. MEMORIES OF LIVES LIVED: The Red Cross Vigil Service works to ensure that as many people as possible have a dignified and safe entrance to their final rest. Photo: Ruth Barsten / news
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The Red Cross vigil service needs volunteers to watch over the dying at nursing homes – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
