Health
'People Want to Remain Human, Not Patients, Even with Short Life Expectancy'
Dineke Miltenburg, a palliative care consultant at Amsterdam's Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital, observes that patients diagnosed with incurable cancer often display remarkable resilience rather than despair. She emphasizes that palliative care focuses on maintaining quality of life and allowing individuals to remain active participants in their own existence, whether through hobbies, work, or social interaction. Miltenburg encourages open conversations about death to reduce fear and advises parents to inform children about terminal illnesses to prevent anxiety. She notes that while some patients hide their condition to avoid being defined solely by their illness, discussing end-of-life preferences helps ensure their remaining time is lived without constant worry, respecting their desire to stay human rather than becoming just a patient.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's