A Good Death
The Journey of Death
What do you do when you're told you're going to die? In this heart-rending documentary four Australians face this very question, as they search for that elusive good death.
"I mean we talk about the journey of life...well, what about the journey of death?" asks one terminally ill patient. Unfortunately, while so often this journey begins with defiance, the sad reality is that modern death is becoming increasingly drawn out and long suffering often overwhelms people.
Palliative care centres like Sacred Heart aim to make this journey easier and provide relief from the pain that usually comes with being terminally ill. But the battle is not against pain alone. In modern society people are reluctant to accept death as a part of life. "We want to look after them. We want to cure them ... we've set up a situation where it's difficult to die peacefully."
Yet palliative care remains under-funded - it appears helping people die a 'good death' is a service society doesn't recognise.
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