Posted by Linda A from St. Louis (12.110.224.2) on September 22, 2003 at 17:36:20:
In Reply to: Resident Deaths posted by Christine Eide on September 20, 2003 at 20:26:17:
: What do you do in your building when a resident dies? Do you take your residents to the funeral? How do you help your residents face this event?
We have a wonderful and unique way of saying good-bye to our residents. For years we did what every NH does the funeral home comes in the back door and quietly removed the body and tried to avoid as many people as possible. After looking at this practice we realized how unfair it is to all concerned. We deveoped a program call Highway to Heaven. When a resident dies there is an announcement of "Highway to Heaven" and the hall where there room is. That hall way is cleared of carts so that All staff, residents and family if they are there can line that hall to stand by as the gerney with the resident covered with a special Pall (a white cloth with a cross on it) passes by. We then follow the gerney up the hall and to the hearse that is parked in front of the facility, then we pause and say a short prayer and blessing before the Pall is folded and given to the staff member leading the prayer and the body is placed in the hearse. I can't tell you how much this has meant to families, staff and other residents to know that when their time comes they will be treated with such dignity.