Flag of the Netherlands.
Problem
Where do you find somebody to visit you or your relative in hospital if you are not religious, or a different religion from the regular visitors?
Answer
The latest is a humanist pastor and poastor team organizer for hospitals in Buckinghamshie, England. Wonderful.
She is from the Netherlands and says this has been the case in The Netherland for more than fifty years. What a pity it's taken so long to catch on in the UK, home of humanism. I had no idea that you could get pastoral hospital visitors in The Netherlands.
In London, in the UK, I tried to get somebody to visit my late uncle in hospital, no such luck. The hospital gave me a couple of numbers. I thought religious groups had people who would sit with the dying so they were not alone. I thought, surely they will visit somebody, either in the hope of converting them on their deathbed, or being left something in the will, or in the hope that a surviving relative such as myself, would later give them a donation as a thank you.
However, they claimed they were too busy, as he was not a paid up member of a church or orthodox synagogue.
Also sending in somebody wearing religious garb makes the patient think: 'Is this the last rites? Have I got only ten minutes left?'
Now, there's an answer.
Where do you find somebody to visit you or your relative in hospital if you are not religious, or a different religion from the regular visitors?
Answer
The latest is a humanist pastor and poastor team organizer for hospitals in Buckinghamshie, England. Wonderful.
She is from the Netherlands and says this has been the case in The Netherland for more than fifty years. What a pity it's taken so long to catch on in the UK, home of humanism. I had no idea that you could get pastoral hospital visitors in The Netherlands.
However, they claimed they were too busy, as he was not a paid up member of a church or orthodox synagogue.
Also sending in somebody wearing religious garb makes the patient think: 'Is this the last rites? Have I got only ten minutes left?'
Now, there's an answer.
My late father didn't want visitors wearing religious outfits. He thought nurses of other religions might be less helpful if he looked affiliated to a religion different from the staff.
Useful Websites
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-45221945/the-first-humanist-lead-chaplain-in-the-nhs#
https://humanism.org.uk/humanism/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain#Health_care
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-45221945/the-first-humanist-lead-chaplain-in-the-nhs#
https://humanism.org.uk/humanism/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain#Health_care
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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