For those of us working in Palliative Care, we must remind ourselves that we are only briefly there in our patients’ lives. We might only appear briefly in the final chapters if it was a book. We have a small part to play in a person’s life as a whole. We provide episodes of care which usually end with the death of our patient. Mostly this is also the end of our relationship with the patient’s loved ones. We make our decisions, offer our suggestions and give our advice before leaving for the day. Our involvement may be as short as hours to days, sometimes weeks to months, but it is a small period.

The patient and their loved ones have to live with their decisions for the rest of their lives. In the case of the patient, only a short time. For their family much longer. They have to do what is right for them. To make sure they have no regrets. To make sure that everything has been tried to keep someone alive.

Even after 15 years of full-time Palliative Care work it is still hard to step aside and let someone do something that you disagree with. You are confident you can control their severe symptoms, to provide comfort, but the patient and/or family are not wanting to buy what you are selling.

No one likes being rejected. To have their best attempts at helping not accepted. For alternatives to be chosen instead. It is hard to witness suffering and not do anything about it.

I want something else. I want to follow someone else’s recommendations.

I want to help you. I really want to help you. Please let me help you.

No. Thank you. I need to do this. We need to do this.

Don’t take it personally. You hardly even exist in their lives. It’s not about you. It’s about them, and what they want to do with what little remains of their life. They want to call the shots. To take control. Even if the only control they can take is a refusal of treatment. They are making one of the few choices they have left. It’s not about you. It’s about them. What is important to them? What is right for them?

I’ll get out of your way then.

It’s not like that.

Yes, it is. I’m getting in your way. I’m holding you up from doing what you need to do. You know where to find me if you change your mind.

It was important to keep on side with them, to show that we would listen and allow them to take part in the decision-making. That we meant what we said. You are the driver, not me.

Our patient might’ve suffered more than they had to but it was the right thing to do for them and their loved ones. They did what they needed to do. So they could live with their decisions, for the rest of their lives.

Providing patient-centred care is not easy.