What happens to people after they die in hospital

Why in the world would this be in classics?

I have dealt with hundreds of deceased in my 15 years as a hospice Nurse. We let relatives stay with them as long as needed. Wash them if needed and place any special items, cuddly toys, favourite blanket etc with them. Most staff would talk to the deceased. We used to take them to the small hospice mortuary ourselves, and say goodnight as they went into the fridge. Always treated with upmost dignity, as did all the undertakers etc who collected the bodies.

In normal times everything that has been said is true! My wife is a nurse and has dealt with many deaths!

Recently she has been working on a covid ward, everything is still the same, she said the only difference is, they now put them in body baga

I was redeployed to icu during the last COVID wave. No visitors were allowed, even if their relative was dying. Even in the hectic early days of COVID, we still made sure the dying patient had someone with them throughout to hold their hand. We also laid them out with the usual care and compassion we would always show. It’s an honour we nurses get to do this for our patients.

Well, I had oddly never thought about my grandmother passing in hospital, and after my cousin had left who was with her when she passed what would have happened, such a beautiful thought that she would have been looked after so well she would have really been grateful, god love our NHS and it's amazing workers..

I understand my husband passed last year. He was an amazing person and really miss him! It was more difficult with his niece being very rude and disrespectful to me.

Lovely to hear about the Good Tea Set. I'm sorry that they didn't have one on the ward where Dad died. He would have loved it. He waited for his friend to arrive. She lived abroad and flew over when she knew he hadn't got long. He was barely responsive in the lat couple of days, so I didn't know how much he was taking in, but his friend arrived at about 9pm,and he died about 10, so I think he must have understood when I told him she was coming, and waited for her to say goodbye.

Sorry to reanimate the old thread, but my wonderful nan passed away this week and reading this while the kids sleep in has been my first chance to really accept it and have a good cry.

I'll always love you Nan, thanks for everything you've done for me.
Hope you're somewhere lovely.

Wow. What a moving read. to all those who have lost loved ones, and huge love to all the HCPs here.

I have no experiene of losing any of my relatives, But my other halfs grandad died recently. It was very sudden and quick. We live 2 hours away and due to no car i asked my mum to get us there but she had just taken her medication which she is not allowed to drive on, so we had to wait until morning.

We stayed up through the night, and OHs brother rang and i spoke to him as OH was too upset. We both thought that he had decided he'd finished in this world. BIL said he would ring back with any furhter news should anything happen before we could set off in the morning.

He went back into the hospital and his grandadwas lying there, he'd been totally out of it. He told him that he loved him and he told him that OH loved him and that he wished more than anything he could be here and that OH loves him so so much. And his grandad nodded and smiled and then he went.

It was dignified and he was treated with respect at all times and it is even more heart warming to know that people such as yourselves here would have continued that after he had left his body behind.

I would give every one of you a kiss if a could.

I want to thank the posters on this thread. I read it when it came out and last weekend I was with my mother in law when she died. The nurse was in and out and I had what felt like a sacred honour of opening the window. It was a very peaceful and moving experience and I was better prepared for it after reading this thread.

Had died not hadassed and the nurses usually not unusually sorry.

I,m a nurse for a long time I worked in dementia care , usually with our patients they had been with us a long time so we got to know their family when some body was dying the family had open access to the ward they could come and go as they liked throughout the day and night ,and after their relative hadassed they could stay as long as they .The nurses that looked after the patient after death unusually knew the patient well we had abox called rose cottage that contained the robe we dressed the patient in labels etc and information for the relatives such as how to contact undertakers ,the morgue etc patients and relatives were always treated with upmost respect.

Polka actually thinking about it, you are probably right. When my Nana was given her prognosis she wasn't happy as she had had enough so maybe she was happy to go but I was devastated my baby coming wasn't enough to give her joy in life. Still pissed off at her selfish sons though.

weechops - I went to a psychic show and I am convinced my nana was "there" but a neighbour assumed it was for her and took over

Opies your post made me cry .

This thread has made me cry. I have never cried about a MN thread before ever.

It is so reassuring and heartwarming that people are treated with so much dignity. My grandfather was an amazing man, a father of 5, a grandfather of 9 and a great grandfather of 12. He was loved and admired. He died in hospital and I am hopeful he was treated with the kindness that many Posters have described.

Oh Opies :'(
So sorry for your loss
Thank goodness for the amazing people that show such kindness at these terrible times.

This really is a lovely thread.

My little boy died at Worcester Royal Infirmary nearly ten years ago now. There were some wonderful midwives, one a nun, that cared for us after we had been transferred from 100 miles away.

It pains me that I can't remember the names of the midwives that looked after us, I do know one was called Rose, but they were so lovely, and gentle and calm. They let us have our little boy for a couple of days after he had died, came in in the night to put fresh ice blocks in the crib so he could stay with us, and when it was time for us to say goodbye to him properly, they carried him down to the morgue themselves.

One particular midwife though, will always stay with me. I don't know her name, but she sat with me in the wee hours one morning, and held me as I sobbed, and shared with me that she herself had lost a little girl. She told me that even though I had thought I'd said goodbye to my son, I should go and see him one more time, because after the funeral would be too late. I took her advice and I am so glad I did.

I wish I could let those people, who were only doing their job, what a difference they have made in my life.

I sat with a gentleman and his daughter while he was dying, and he waited until she left for a short break before he passed away. It really is a privilege to be with somebody during their last moments, and continue to care for them afterwards. I've also sat with someone while they were waiting for family to arrive, and held their hand when they died. I had never met him before but I was glad that he wasn't alone.

to all of you who have lost someone and I hope this thread gives you some relief.

I know my dad waited for me to leave before he died. I sat at his bed for almost 12 hours and only an hour after I left he had passed away. He was always a private person and very proud, dignified man, so he wouldn't have wanted me to see him go. I take comfort from that- he died in the way he would have chosen.
Also, I've had a psychic reading done a few times, and my mum came through (for the first time ever) with my dad. He knew I was there but found it very undignified at the end. I don't mean to debate spirituality, psychics etc, but this is of huge comfort to me to know that my parents are still part of my life.