HJNO May/Jun 2022

about illness trajectory, helping themunder- stand the diagnosis and what to expect over time,”Pennebaker said. “My role is navigat- ing them through the process — not only the patient, but also the family.” Pennebaker added that the average per- son has not taken a simple action that can ease the bereavement process immeasur- ably: talking to their loved ones about death. Pennebaker has observed that the inten- sity of the bereavement process is lessened when families know that they are acting in accord with the deceased’s wishes. “It’s never too early to have these con- versations. Talk to your family,”Pennebaker said. “It doesn’t have to mean going to an attorney or drawing up expensive paper- work. It can be as simple as sitting down and learning what their wishes would be. It’s much easier for families to be at peace with their decisions regarding end-of-life when they know what their loved ones want.” Depending upon the patient’s personal, cultural and religious values, the bereave- ment process can vary widely from one individual to the next. Toni Flowers, PhD, chief diversity and social responsibility offi- cer for LCMC Health, said that it’s always important for health providers to be cog- nizant of cultural expectations and prac- tices, but especially so during trying cir- cumstances such as the loss of a loved one. “It’s important for us to stay aware of those cultural differences,” Flowers said. “Each culture is going to be different, includ- ing in the grievance of loss. It’s important for us to recognize that and demonstrate cultural competency.” Cultural differences surrounding end-of- life may call for same-sex healthcare pro- viders, the accommodation of larger groups of decision-makers, or religious restric- tions on how the body may be handled after death. By honoring the cultural needs of the patient and their loved ones, Flowers said, LCMC Health assists patients in “being authentic in their loss.” Flowers added that LCMC Health has also recently updated its translation services, which were previously audio-only and are now conducted by video. This change aids the translator as well as the patient, who both benefit from the nuances of nonver- bal communication expressed during video calls. Flowers cites this change as one way that LCMC Health is working to make patients from all cultural backgrounds more comfortable during difficult times. Day after day, grief and bereavement professionals like these set out to improve quality of life for their patients, whether they are confronting a serious, life-limiting diag- nosis or mourning the loss of a loved one. In recent years, their expertise has become more relevant than ever due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think that the amount that healthcare workers have experienced over the past two years, there are no words to explain it,” Malhotra said. “Every healthcare worker out there has probably experienced some form of PTSD. We need to support our healthcare workers and create sustainable structures for them.” Malhotra sounded exasperated, but she also sounded deeply appreciative of the opportunity to care for, and learn from, her patients. “The field has given me more than I could ever give back to it,” she said. “I wake up every day with a sense of purpose. Seeing how much loss there is in this world forces me to do the best job I can with each day that I’m fortunate enough to live.” Swalm also finds joy in being of service to her patients who are dealing with grief or bereavement. “I always feel extremely honored to be able to share a space with an individual who is probably at the most vulnerable point in their life,”she said. “When I can ease some- one’s suffering, and let them know that they’re not carrying this weight alone, I feel a sense of peace and accomplishment.” “It takes a certain kind of individual to continue through so many moments of despair and sorrow, but we see moments of joy, too,” said Malhotra of University Medi- cal Center. “Those moments of joy carry me through.” n “I really think that, as a society, we need to normalize talking about death,” Pennebaker said. “On some level, it’s a topic that is really avoided. Death is terrible, but it’s a part of life. We should be more open as families, talking about it.” HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAY / JUN 2022 13