*安寧療護的真諦

Dame Cicely Saunders founded St Christopher’s (1967)as the first hospice to link expert pain and symptom control, compassionate care, education and clinical research. St Christopher’s has been a pioneer in the field of palliative medicine, which is now established worldwide.
In founding St Christopher's in 1967, Dame Cicely Saunders made an extraordinary contribution to alleviating human suffering. The hospice has been a centre of innovation and insight ever since.
She conveyed a message to those she cared for:
"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life.
We will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die."(你是重要的，因為你是你。即使活到最後一刻，你仍然是那麼的重要。我們會盡一切的努力，幫助你安然逝去；但也會盡一切的努力，讓你活到最後一刻！) (http://www.stchristophers.org.uk/)

在病人臨終時，生活的品質可能優於生命的延長，醫師在此時，如能尊重病人意願，提供安寧緩和醫療的照顧，並在臨終時協助病人有尊嚴的死(die in dignity)或安詳的往生(peaceful death)，將是莫大的功德。大孝與大愛應是陪伴臨終家屬，協助其坦然接受疾病，安度餘生，安詳捨報往生。病人的死亡，並非醫療的失敗，未能協助病人安詳往生，才是醫療的失敗。[陳榮基：慈濟醫學雜誌,2006年,第18卷155-157頁.]
In one's final moments, quality of life may be more important than the mere prolongation of existence. Physicians who respect patients' wishes and provide hospice palliative care, can foster a peaceful and dignified departure from life, although the benefits that this provides may not be easily determined empirically. Filial duty and love should find its expression in being with the family member at the end of his or her life, and in encouraging acceptance of disease, quiet life in his last days and peaceful passing. Where it is unavoidable, the death of a patient is not a medical failure. Not being able to facilitate a peaceful and dignified demise is, however. (Rong-Chi Chen: Tzu Chi Med J 2006; 18:155-157)