In recognition of the cycle of life and the fact that many people die in acute hospitals in Ireland, the End of Life committee in Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) was set up to look at ways of improving the culture of care regarding dying, death and bereavement in hospital. This is part of a nationwide initiative called the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme.
This End of Life symbol is used to respectfully identify items connected with the end of life in Waterford Regional Hospital. It is inspired by ancient Irish history and is not associated with any one religion or denomination. The 3-stranded spiral represents the interconnected cycle of life – birth, life and death. The outer circle represents continuity, infinity and completion. The use of purple is associated with nobility, solemnity and spirituality.