The initial referral comes from the team at the palliative care unit or hospice; by now they are so familiar with my work there that they have a keen sense of who might particularly benefit from the creation of a palligraphy.
During our first meeting, I introduce myself and my service to the person If they are interested to take part, we arrange a time for the actual interview.
That sounds so formal, but in reality it is ‘just’ a genuine conversation between two human beings, for which neither of us needs to prepare. Usually, this conversation lasts up to ninety minutes, moviel length so to speak, and is recorded using a recoding device.
At home, I write down the narrative.Very important: I don’t change the wording, it’s not about creating a literary masterpiece at this point, but a document on which family and friends recognise their loved one and say: ‘Yes, that’s exactly how he/she always spoke. Typical!’
At our next meeting, I read this draft aloud in peace and quiet. This is always a special moment for both of us, in which the full power and magic of palligraphy can unfold. If there are any changes or additions the person wants to include, I will incorporate them in the final version. We also discuss what the cover page of the booklet should look like and how many copies I need to print.
In this way, a very personalised document is created for family or friends, which I eventually hand over at the fourth and final appointment. When and how the they want to present the document to their loved ones is of course up to patient. Some consciously decide to share it with their loved ones while they are still alive, others want them to read it after their death.
In any case, I always try to complete the whole project within a week – in urgent circumstances, this time frame can also be adjusted.
PS: The protection of all personal data is a matter of course. The audio file will only be used for the agreed purpose and will be deleted after transcription.
