A chaplain will help the family deal with spiritual issues around death and dying. If necessary, a nutritionist will help the family deal with the fact that the person s appetite gets worse at the end of life. A grief counselor will evaluate the family for any abnormal problems with the grieving process. Grieving often starts before the family member actually dies. The counselor will monitor the grief process for about 13 months after the person dies.
Some hospices also can provide art or music therapy.
On the paper, still legible, was a poem. Now, he knew, he was dying. Both the old man and the poem deserved music. I copied the poem and published it on the Internet to a music discussion chatroom. An email brought me the composed tune.