Hospice sets a precedent: Bautzen breaks the taboo surrounding death!

Hospice sets a precedent: Bautzen breaks the taboo surrounding death!

A courageous pilot project to address life issues came to elementary school in Bautzen at the end of November. Diakonie's outpatient hospice service presented the “Hospice makes school” project and thrilled students, teachers and parents alike. Over a week, the children explored the topic of death and dying in a child-friendly way, looking for answers to questions such as “How big is a coffin?” or “How can we say goodbye?” were looking for. School pastor Steffi Hoffmann said: “It is to be hoped that such collaborations will succeed in removing taboos from this topic.” It became clear that despite the seriousness of the topic, the children's curiosity prevailed and they were able to talk openly about their fears. The project will be particularly important at Christmas, when grief for lost loved ones is keenly felt, as it offers perspectives of hope and comfort, such as bistum-dresden-meissen.de reported.

Loneliness in old age: Sister Agnes 2.0

In a different, innovative approach to supporting seniors in the Bautzen district, the “Sister Agnes 2.0” project was launched. The Großharthau parish has hired Marlen Rüdiger as a personal contact for older people. The trained nurse has been traveling through the villages on her e-bike since July and takes time for conversations. Rüdiger reports positive feedback from seniors who are happy to have a contact person who listens and has time for them. Pastor Benjamin Stahl explained that the community has placed a clear focus on senior work and pastoral care and that the issue of loneliness among the older generation must be urgently addressed. The innovative concept also includes meetings for widows and widowers to promote social cohesion, underlining the importance of the initiative saechsische.de explained.