“The first sense to ignite, touch is often the last to burn out: long after our eyes betray us, our hands remain faithful to the world.” — Frederick Sachs, The Sciences
As we are writing new year resolutions, let us challenge ourselves to be more caring individuals to those around us. Let someone know you are there for them, it can be your patient, your loved ones or even someone who came to your mind as you are reading this post. Read how a touch a be worth a thousand words at this link here.
Touch is the first of the five senses to develop in the fetus, it is thought to be one of the most fully formed at birth and last to go. Its power is legion, in science, in literature and in everyday interaction. As we age and face the deterioration of other senses, such as sight and hearing, touch is an especially powerful tool of nonverbal communication (touch can degrade, too, with age, but the decline is often not as limiting). When someone is ill, the power of touch can be amplified. Touch is an essential tool of the trade to advance both physical and emotional healing.
In palliative care is where the expert professional touch of a clinician meets the warm personal embrace of humanity. That is what makes this field different. Let us continue this great work in 2017 too.