Patients are always more important than their diseases
One-line Health Pastoral Conference 10-11 May
Let us give thanks to the Lord for the progress that medical science has made, especially in recent times; new technologies have made it possible to prepare therapies that are of great benefit to the sick; research continues to make a valuable contribution to eliminating old and new pathologies; rehabilitation medicine has greatly expanded its expertise and skills.
None of this, however, must make us forget the uniqueness of each patient, his or her dignity and frailties. Patients are always more important than their diseases, and for this reason, no therapeutic approach can prescind from listening to the patient, his or her history, anxieties and fears. Even when healing is not possible, care can always be given. It is always possible to console, it is always possible to make people sense a closeness that is more interested in the person than in his or her pathology. For this reason, I would hope that the training provided to health workers might enable them to develop a capacity for listening and relating to others. (cfr. message of his holiness pope Francis for the thirtieth world day of the sick February 11, 2022)
Together with the sisters of the Community of Viale Saffi and Duronia, we too had the opportunity to follow online the conference on the pastoral care of health organized by the USMI on 11 and 12 May.
This year’s edition is an updated edition of the path of each year that will be proposed again and is intended for the sisters and other people who collaborate in our infirmaries, especially "tried" by the pandemic.
It aims also to offer an opportunity for continuous and updated training on the theme of caring others and taking care of oneself, analyzing processes in place in the management of our infirmaries in which the interest, before the pathologies of our sisters, It must be for people, their fragility, their loneliness, their history, their expectations, their difficult journey. Our infirmaries must be places of life and mission: it is also of great importance to care for the environment and the whole organization with particular attention to the care of prayer, of the liturgies and especially of listening to the Word of God in respect of the traditions that must be combined with creativity and care.
Essential is the promotion of life in all its moments and in all its dimensions and the protection of the life of each sister, privileging, within the formative processes of health care workers, the care of the "relationship", as a way of listening and welcoming.
A whole day was dedicated to geriatric culture, masterfully exposed by Prof. Gianluigi Perati with particular attention to fragility and dementia, which unfortunately are recurrent and required for a greater commitment to care with love, with evangelical dedication and competence, always having in mind that "all that you have done to the "least" of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done to me".
Community of Centocelle