Your views: Gurmit a good choice as hospice ambassador
I refer to reports that television celebrity Gurmit Singh did not place his late father in a hospice because of wrong impressions and a lack of knowledge.
Hospice care is end-of-life care. The objective is to help give the dying peace, comfort and dignity. But a hospice is not a place where people go to die.
The good work of hospice care staff needs to be publicised so that more people who are sceptical of admitting their relatives to these places will consider this option, which can also significantly reduce the strain on caregivers in the family.
The stress and strain of caring for close relatives who are in the last stages of their life can lead to burnout.
If the patient insists on living alone, there is also much anxiety for family members, as was the case with Gurmit, whose father was battling cancer.
With his wacky and bubbly character, Gurmit is the right person to bring some joy into the lives of patients and create more awareness of end-of-life issues as a hospice ambassador.
E-mail your views and photos to tnptalk@sph.com.sg You can also write to us at The New Paper, 1000 Toa Payoh North, Level 6, Annexe Block, Singapore 318994
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now