Nobody is forgotten

The in-patient department of Johannes-Hospiz has many beloved traditions, one of which is the Book of Memory in the chapel. All residents will be entered into this book after they died to remind of their time in the hospice. I write and care for this book already in the fourth generation, for this tradition has been existing since August 1999 when our house was opened. I took over the format from my predecessors, and meanwhile our memories have grown to the impressive number of 17 volumes. The current book will always lie open to be viewed on a lectern.

When inviting the relatives to the memorial service we ask them to send us a photograph of the deceased to add a face to the name. I am often surprised by a photograph, for at first sight the picture seldom corresponds to my personal memories. It is only at second sight then, that I recognize the people I cared for if only for a short but mostly intensive time. I realize then that, in caring for our residents, we take part in one of the most sensitive phases of life. My father, too, died in the hospice in 2009. When I feel like it, I will sit down in the chapel and look at his entry and the photograph my mother gave us at the memorial service. And I am glad, for nobody will be forgotten.

 

Angelina Verhorst
Qualified nurse, nurse specialized in palliative care at Johannes-Hospiz