Download or read book The Final Act of Living written by Barbara Karnes and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this full length book with a new preface added, Barbara Karnes shares her insights and experiences gathered over decades of working with people during their final act of living. For both professionals and lay people, this book weaves personal stories with practical care guidelines, including: living with a life threatening illness, signs of the dying process, the stages of grief, living wills, and other end of life issues. The Final Act of Living: Reflections of a Long-Time Hospice Nurse is an end of life book; a resource that reads like a novel, yet has the content of a textbook.Barbara wrote this book following years of being a hospice nurse at the bedside of hundreds of people in the months to moments before death. From the stories and experiences she shares, you will see that death doesn't just happen, there is an unfolding; there is a process to dying. The Final Act of Living is used as:*A resource on end of life for palliative care nurses*A training handbook for hospice nurses and volunteers*A reference book for anyone working with end of life issues: Lay ministers, social workers, counselors, nurses, chaplains*An easy read for anyone interested in dying and grief*A text book in college and university classes, CNA training, social work and LPN/RN classesThis material may be described as an "end of life book" however, as the title states, its content and philosophy is all about The Final Act of Living.
Download or read book Peaceful Passages written by Janet Wehr and published by Quest Books. This book was released on 2015-10-01 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joy is a word rarely associated with death. Yet joy is ultimately the effect in this collection of stories about Janet Wehr’s experiences in witnessing the death of her patients during her fifteen years as a hospice nurse. Her first-hand account gives illuminating and comforting insight into the spiritual aspect of what occurs in the transition between life and death, highlighting the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection as it manifests in the dying process. It also gives a candid impression of hospices and hospice nurses and the services they can provide. All of Janet’s forty-six personal stories are true, fascinating, heart-felt, and thought-provoking. Through her authentic examples, readers gain understanding, hope, and a sense of peace about what is, after all, an inevitable experience for us all. And with that sense of peace, comes joy. This book is endorsed by the President of Hospice of America and will be used as a training manual by that organization.
Download or read book Final Gifts written by Maggie Callanan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-02-14 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this moving and compassionate classic—now updated with new material from the authors—hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years’ experience tending the terminally ill. Through their stories we come to appreciate the near-miraculous ways in which the dying communicate their needs, reveal their feelings, and even choreograph their own final moments; we also discover the gifts—of wisdom, faith, and love—that the dying leave for the living to share. Filled with practical advice on responding to the requests of the dying and helping them prepare emotionally and spiritually for death, Final Gifts shows how we can help the dying person live fully to the very end.
Download or read book Demystifying Hospice written by Karen J. Clayton and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-10-31 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hospice care is available to patients and families dealing with terminal illness. People often do not avail themselves of hospice care because they don’t understand what it entails. Many wait until their last few days to request this extraordinary comfort care instead of using the full six months available to them through Medicare and other insurance options. Demystifying Hospice describes through stories good news about end-of-life issues. Written from the perspective of a licensed social worker with experience in public and private hospitals, hospice, and the American Cancer Society, these first-hand accounts of patients, family members, hospice workers and others will lift spirits, touch hearts, and illustrate the advantages of hospice care. These are real-life examples of personalized comfort care, offered by an interdisciplinary team, where ever the patient lives. Each story addresses some aspect of helping families through the caregiving and grieving process, which are part-and-parcel of a serious illness, and offers comfort and understanding to readers who may be going through similar experiences. This book describes hope, healing, and support through difficult times.
Download or read book Living at the End of Life written by Karen Whitley Bell and published by Union Square & Co.. This book was released on 2018-01-02 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An updated edition of the most respected book on hospice care—for both patients and caregivers. This warm and informative resource on hospice and other end-of-life care options now gets an update. It receives a new preface and revised guidance on elders who need more long-term care and support, recommendations on pain medications, and advice for those living extended lives with treatable, but not curable, diseases. Written by a hospice nurse, Living at the End of Life reassures us that this difficult time also offers an opportunity to explore and rediscover a richer meaning in life. Drawing on her years of experience, Bell has created a comprehensive, insightful guide to every aspect of hospice care and the final stages of life. For people in hospice, as well as their friends and families, this is an indispensable and trustworthy source of comfort and spiritual healing.
Download or read book Memoirs of a Hospice Nurse written by Elizabeth Walters and published by Page Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2018-12-26 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most people have been misinformed about hospice care and hospice nurses. This book will put their minds at ease and enlighten them to the fact that hospice nursing comes fully staffed with caring and highly educated individuals, and that, hospice is not a place but a philosophy of care. This team often consists of and is headed by a medical director, RNs, LPNs, social workers, and chaplains. These professionals spend sleepless nights rendering care and comfort and catering to the needs of patients who are bravely on their final journey in life. Memoirs of a Hospice Nurse chronicles the unforgettable experiences that nurse Elizabeth Walters encountered while providing hands-on bedside care to her dying patients. This riveting storytelling will show the compassion and love displayed by this hospice nurse for her patients and their families.
Download or read book Dancing with Angels written by Karen Farr and published by . This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of hospice stories overflows with passion of both hope and despair. Read intriguing stories inspired by Karen's ten years as a hospice nurse. Journey with ten patients through their struggle with a life threatening diagnosis. Experience different family dynamics of coping with fear and death. Learn how to live with hospice support. Enjoy the gems hidden between the chapters Dancing with Angels shares ten hospice experiences. These fictitious stories draw on events from Karen's ten years as a hospice nurse. She chooses settings and events that emphasize how hospice functions under the federal guidelines. (1)Red Knitted Slippers: A financially strapped Viet Nam Vet dies in his brother's home. (2)Heaven, I've Been There: A single mother with an 'out of body' experience has no fear of dying. (3)Bagels and Lox: A grandmother lives one week in her son's home after experiencing a massive stroke. (4)Get on Board: A grandfather has concern about his grand-children's spirituality. (5)Orange Bucket: A contractor attempts all holistic and known medical interventions to cure cancer. (6)I Found My Lost Daughter: A Korean War vet finds a daughter born out of wedlock. (7)Where is Ernie? A father with Alzheimer ends his ten year journey confused in a skilled nursing facility. (8)I Want Chocolate at my Memorial: Hospice care extends the life of a ninety-four year old chocoholic grandmother. (9)Queen Victoria: A widow without family wrestles with her self-image. (10)B-17 Bomber's Final Flight: A World War II Veteran struggles with his wife's difficulties in accepting his death. Each story shares a hospice journey and how different people faced the reality of death. Hospice does not promise to add or subtract days to life. These stories show how some patients lived longer and more comfortably when hospice controlled their symptoms. Hospice treats the whole patient, physically, emotionally and spiritually with understanding and support.
Download or read book The Miracle of Hospice written by Cathy Truehart and published by BalboaPress. This book was released on 2012-09-05 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Truehart gives us a real inside peak at her work and the devotion and skills of those who work alongside her. But most important, she takes the scary out of hospice. She makes it clear that choosing hospice creates the best possible world for the dying and the people who love themthat terminal illness does not necessitate living every day as though it is your last. Rather hospice can create a world of possibilities for each and every day that is left to usjust like in real life. Kay Degenhardt, KDI When I was first diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma over three years ago, it had the face of my mortality on itI was blessed to come across a copy of Cathys manuscript of her lifes work in hospice [which] made me laugh while I cried, but more importantly, Cathys compassion and her patients courage gave me hope and inspiration when I needed it most. I recommend that anyoneread this! Joan Rose Ellsworth
Download or read book More Glimpses of Heaven written by Trudy Harris and published by Revell. This book was released on 2010-11 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collects true stories of the beauty and pain of life's end from medical professionals, hospice workers, and the author's own experiences as a hospice nurse.
Download or read book Angels at the Bedside written by Lynda Noll and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2021-12-28 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lynda Noll is an intuitive hospice nurse who knows first-hand the overwhelming depth of sadness when a loved one dies. Yet through both her personal and professional experiences, she has learned that each of us has the potential to bring love and healing into the relationships we have with our departing loved ones as they move through one of the most profound moments of their existence. Within true, end-of-life stories shared from a spiritual yet nondenominational perspective, Lynda imparts wisdom on the dying process by shining a light on how we can connect with the spirit of love to remedy the fear of dying, gain insight into new ways of being present at the bedside of our loved ones, and ultimately bring healing not just to those transitioning to the other side, but also ourselves. Included is medical guidance that helps others gently care for loved ones at the end of life while also caring for themselves. Angels at the Bedside is a collection of true stories that provide a unique perspective on how to care for a loved one through the dying process and prepare them for a journey into the beyond.
Download or read book Top Five Regrets of the Dying written by Bronnie Ware and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2019-08-13 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide with translations in 29 languages. After too many years of unfulfilling work, Bronnie Ware began searching for a job with heart. Despite having no formal qualifications or previous experience in the field, she found herself working in palliative care. During the time she spent tending to those who were dying, Bronnie's life was transformed. Later, she wrote an Internet blog post, outlining the most common regrets that the people she had cared for had expressed. The post gained so much momentum that it was viewed by more than three million readers worldwide in its first year. At the request of many, Bronnie subsequently wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, to share her story. Bronnie has had a colourful and diverse life. By applying the lessons of those nearing their death to her own life, she developed an understanding that it is possible for everyone, if we make the right choices, to die with peace of mind. In this revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide, with translations in 29 languages, Bronnie expresses how significant these regrets are and how we can positively address these issues while we still have the time. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying gives hope for a better world. It is a courageous, life-changing book that will leave you feeling more compassionate and inspired to live the life you are truly here to live.
Download or read book Death Is But a Dream written by Christopher Kerr and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-02-11 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book to validate the meaningful dreams and visions that bring comfort as death nears. Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love and grace. Beyond the physical realities of dying are unseen processes that are remarkably life-affirming. These include dreams that are unlike any regular dream. Described as "more real than real," these end-of-life experiences resurrect past relationships, meaningful events and themes of love and forgiveness; they restore life's meaning and mark the transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. Drawing on interviews with over 1,400 patients and more than a decade of quantified data, Dr. Kerr reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process. He shares how his patients' stories point to death as not solely about the end of life, but as the final chapter of humanity's transcendence. Kerr's book also illuminates the benefits of these phenomena for the bereaved, who find solace in seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure. Beautifully written, with astonishing real-life characters and stories, this book is at its heart a celebration of our power to reclaim the dying process as a deeply meaningful one. Death Is But a Dream is an important contribution to our understanding of medicine's and humanity's greatest mystery.
Download or read book All Kinds of Love written by Carolyn Jaffe and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a view of hospice care through the eyes of a long-term hospice nurse. This title includes stories which are accompanied by discussion of end-of-life issues that arise among the families hospice nurse has served. It is useful for health care and social worker and layperson alike.
Download or read book A Healing Touch written by Richard Russo and published by Down East Books. This book was released on 2008-04-25 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Richard Russo and five other Maine authors here prove that the close of life need not be filled with darkness, when hospice help is at hand. These writers recount intensely personal and profoundly moving end-of-life accounts that cover a wide spectrum of human experience. All six authors are donating their royalties to a Maine hospice; Down East will also donate 10 percent of proceeds to the same cause.
Download or read book Hospice Stories A Message of Hope written by Ellen M. Mitchell and published by . This book was released on 2014-06-25 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Death can be beautiful," is the lesson Ellen Mitchell learned when she joined the staff of a large hospital in the Midwest. She realized the hospital staff's dedication was to make people well. But, as a Hospice Chaplain, she was devoted to a different aspect, that of comforting those who would not get well, and their loved ones. In these vignettes she discusses openly and honestly the beautiful side of dying. There is a message of comfort and hope to be learned from her stories, for others with similar conditions, and for their care givers. A feeling of peace and God's love can be passed on to those experiencing life's challenges through the messages she was given by her dying patients and their families.
Download or read book At the End of Life written by Lee Gutkind and published by Underland Press. This book was released on 2012-04-10 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What should medicine do when it can’t save your life? The modern healthcare system has become proficient at staving off death with aggressive interventions. And yet, eventually everyone dies—and although most Americans say they would prefer to die peacefully at home, more than half of all deaths take place in hospitals or health care facilities. At the End of Life—the latest collaborative book project between the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation—tackles this conundrum head on. Featuring twenty-two compelling personal-medical narratives, the collection explores death, dying and palliative care, and highlights current features, flaws and advances in the healthcare system. Here, a poet and former hospice worker reflects on death’s mysteries; a son wanders the halls of his mother’s nursing home, lost in the small absurdities of the place; a grief counselor struggles with losing his own grandfather; a medical intern traces the origins and meaning of time; a mother anguishes over her decision to turn off her daughter’s life support and allow her organs to be harvested; and a nurse remembers many of her former patients. These original, compelling personal narratives reveal the inner workings of hospitals, homes and hospices where patients, their doctors and their loved ones all battle to hang on—and to let go.
Download or read book Hospice written by Cindy Marks and published by LifeRich Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-18 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cindy Marks is a hospice nurse who has unfortunately witnessed heartbreaking fear and desperation in her patients and family members as they attempt to come to grips with death. In her guide to facing death peacefully, Marks reveals what she has learned while providing comfort and enlightenment. Death is not to be feared, but instead celebrated as a journey filled with miracles. Marks, who has cared for hundreds of hospice patients, offers insight into her personal feelings while sharing real-life stories of the dying as they transitioned to the next life. From the woman who was blessed with the gift of hearing for the first time during her final days to the man who relied on a quiet, strong faith and unconditional love to carry him through until the end and finally the young divorced woman who was terrified to die, Marks offers a poignant glimpse into lessons learned from each patient that will help anyone walking the same journey to find clarity, inspiration, and ultimately peace of mind. Hospice: The Serene Warmth of Wisdom shares advice and true stories from a hospice nurse that will encourage the dying and their families to embrace the greatest miracle of all: to return home to heaven with Gods grace.
