Initiating a Ceremony at the Time of Death in a Medical Facility

Abstract

This quality improvement project describes the initiation of a ceremony at the time of death in a community living center and an acute care setting in a Veterans Administration Health Care facility. The ceremony is a best practice for end-of-life care. Since initiating the ceremony, staff and veterans have expressed a sense of caring, dignity, closure, honor, and connection when performing the ceremony for the deceased. The culture around death has changed due to the ceremony, reflecting Jean Watson’s caring framework where healing can take place in any caring moment where there is an authentic human encounter.