The WeCare Chair: End of Life Care at UIC Barcelona organised its 11th International Workshop on Friday 29 November, an event that brought together national and international experts to address the complex issue of the wish to bring forward death.
The workshop kicked off with a welcome from Cristina Monforte and Joaquim Julià, directors of the WeCare Chair, who highlighted the importance of continuing research and training health professionals in the field of end-of-life care.
The first talk, given by Aleix Bonfill, doctor in Philosophy and lecturer at La Salle - Universitat Ramon Llull, dealt with the spiritual constants of the sick person, stressing the need to connect with the existential questions that arise in the process of illness. According to Bonfill, "recognising and exploring these constants is essential to deliver truly humanised care.”
The second presentation was given by Marina Martínez, a psychologist at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, who highlighted the importance of self-care for professionals working in settings where there is a high emotional impact. Martínez offered practical tools for managing stress and preventing burnout, reminding us that "caring for the caregiver is also caring for the patient".
After the break, Javier Rocafort, assistant doctor at the Hospital San Juan de Dios in Pamplona, presented the keys to responding to the wish to bring forward death in clinical practice, underlining the need for open and empathetic communication. Meanwhile, Miguel Ángel Cuervo, a doctor at the Hospital Universitario de Badajoz, closed the presentations with a reflection on how to care for families in these critical moments, insisting on the importance of support as a way of reducing suffering.
The day concluded with the reflections of Albert Balaguer, coordinator of the WeCare Chair, who spoke about the importance of multidisciplinary work in dealing with the wish for death. “Only through collaboration between disciplines can we respond comprehensively to this issue, respecting the dignity of each person,” said Balaguer.
The success of the 11th International Workshop reasserts the role of the WeCare Chair as a benchmark in research and training in end-of-life care. With initiatives like this one, UIC Barcelona further demonstrates its commitment to the integral wellbeing of people, research and the transfer of knowledge to society.
