On Death and Dying<br/><br/>

VElizabeth Kubler-Ross was the author of the book “On Death and Dying”. This book was published on 1969. She was the first medical professional to elaborate the whole process of acknowledging death, so as to alleviate the fear of facing death. She classified the whole process into five stages: (1) denial, (2) anger, (3) bargain, (4) depression, and (5) acceptance.<br/><br/>

She was the first physician to prescribe and practise hospice service to patients. She considered that terminal patients need abundance of time being accompanied by family members rather than massive quantity of medical instruments. The action of a female janitor working in a Chicago hospital had influenced her extensively to promote the idea of hospice. This lady was of African ethnicity and responsible for maintaining cleanliness in patient’s rooms. Dr. Kubler-Ross discovered that the condition of those patients, recuperating in rooms where this lady served, had obviously turned favorable. Through close monitoring and observation, she found out what this lady janitor did every time she finished her work in the patient’s room. Holding their hands in an affectionate manner, she spoke positively with the patients. In this way she made them very comfortable and did cheer them up.<br/><br/>

Dr. Kubler-Ross was born in Swiss in 1926. She studied medicine in university and immigrated to United States in 1958. Seeing the general public (the medical and nursing staff inclusive) having an inexplicable fear towards death, she determined to research on the psychological impact on human being.<br/><br/>

Be it in life or after death, we exist within God’s Great Love. When we understand this mystery, death is no longer that fearful and dreadful.<br/><br/>

Elizabeth has returned to the Heavenly Home on August 24, 2004. May God bless this honourable woman who has brought shedding of light to those who suffer under the shadow of death.