On July 5th, 1988, under the leadership of Huang Tianzhong and Cui Yitai, Tianjin Medical College established the first research center of hospice care in China and established a hospice care fund. Cui Yitai became the first director.
"Death education and hospice care are unavoidable topics in life education and also worldwide educational topics." It is under this understanding that Huang Tianzhong and Cui Yitai called for 35 years.
Huang Tianzhong's emphasis on death education and hospice care stems from his experience of studying and working abroad. 194 1 Born in Jiangxi, grew up in Taiwan Province Province, studied and worked in the United States, and later became the president of an American university. In the era when there were no "three direct links" between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, he took the lead in introducing MBA to Chinese mainland with the help of his Chinese-American identity. Because of his educational background in hospice care, Huang Tianzhong introduced it to China for the first time.
"Two interesting old people." This is the participants' impression of Huang Tianzhong and Cui Yitai. Thirty-five years ago, the two were young and passionate, looking forward to the future; Thirty-five years later, although they can only sit in a wheelchair and "remember the old hand in hand", their initial intentions remain unchanged and their fiery feelings remain the same.
Before the round table, Huang Tianzhong and Cui Yitai introduced the "past life" of hospice care to nearly 100 participants.
"Hospice care" began in medieval Europe. By 1967, Britain had established the world's first modern hospice hospital. 1974 the first hospice hospital in the United States was established, 1986 hospice care was included in the Medicaid program.
1988 after the establishment of the first hospice research center in China, 1990 the first hospice ward in China was established in Tianjin medical college, 1992 the first international symposium on hospice care between east and west was held in March.
After entering the new century, a number of teaching materials such as hospice care, multiculturalism and nursing have entered medical colleges, which shows that China has established a teaching system for hospice care medicine and nursing specialty. When it comes to the development of hospice care education in China, Cui Yitai is well known.
"Death education abroad can be traced back to 1928. In some western countries, death education courses involve all ages and are systematic. " The educational experience of hospice care also made Huang Tianzhong know more about the present situation of death education abroad.
"Although death education in China has improved over the years, the overall situation is not optimistic." Luo Jilan, former vice chairman and secretary general of China Life Care Association, said that since 2004, more than 20 colleges and universities such as Peking University and Shandong University have offered courses related to death education, and also carried out practical activities such as writing epitaphs and visiting funeral homes. However, death education is still absent in the curriculum system of primary and secondary schools, and only a few schools have carried out educational activities such as "writing wills". Although such activities have brought some positive effects, they have had little effect.
Xiamen Xiang 'an No.1 Middle School has carried out life education for many years. The school undertook the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" project "Practical Research on Experiential Life Education for Middle School Students". "Some people think that primary and secondary school students are too young and immature, and hasty death education and practical activities may have a negative impact." Xu Liling, one of the project leaders, is a psychology teacher in Xiang 'an No.1 Middle School. She believes that it is necessary to carry out death education in primary and secondary schools, but the way must be appropriate.
How to make life education more complete? It is inevitable to face death directly.
"Facing the proposition of death, life education will be more complete." As early as 1992, Cui Yitai and Huang Tianzhong published the book "Theory and Practice of Hospice Care", holding that "facing death" is one of the main viewpoints in the book.
"Influenced by Confucian culture, China people value good luck and think more about how to' live'. It is difficult to discuss death directly, and society is developing. These concepts should be gradually changed. " Huang Tianzhong believes that it is necessary to let students face death through appropriate educational activities.
"Hospice care education is one of the most appropriate ways." Cui Yitai believes that China people advocate filial piety and love their relatives, and have the concepts of "death" and "good death". In the process of hospice care, it is logical to carry out education in the face of death.
Li Zhigang, the attending physician of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital affiliated to Tsinghua University, is also a member of the hospice care team. He introduced the relevant scenes of hospice care in his hospital to reporters.
The "hospice care" team of Tsinghua Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has more than a dozen members, including pain doctors, therapists, nurses, nutritionists and folklore experts. Here, doctors no longer struggle with "death", nor do they make excessive diagnosis and treatment, but mainly focus on analgesia, listening and prognosis.
Lu is the director of the Pain Department of Tsinghua Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the head of the "Hospice Care" team. Besides being a doctor, he is also keen on promoting life culture and writing narrative medicine.
Lu believes that China people should gradually change the traditional concept of life and death. Once, he saw a child wishing his grandfather a happy birthday. He said he would not die, and everyone laughed.
"Actually, I don't think this is funny at all." Lu believes that China people always talk about other people's deaths, and they avoid this topic between "you and me". Many people think that death is far away from them, but they don't know that death is closely related to them.
"I'm going to the cemetery to talk about life and death." Lu believes that Tomb-Sweeping Day's talk about life and death in the cemetery is in line with the cultural habits of China people, and it is also one of the ways to make people accept "face life and death".
At 202 1 in Tomb-Sweeping Day, Phoenix Satellite TV broadcasted an exclusive interview program "I will hold my own funeral" by Lu.
In the shot, Lu lies on the bed in the morgue, scrubbed by the undertaker. Then he lay in the coffin, listening to friends and family say goodbye.
"I want to bring death closer and tell everyone that death may come to you at any time and face' I am dead'." In the program, Lu explained the reason for holding a "funeral" for himself, that is, popularizing death education to the public and letting people learn to face death directly.