Living at the End of Life

Living at the End of Life
Author: Karen Whitley Bell
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2018-01-02
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 145492845X

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.

The Final Act of Living

The Final Act of Living
Author: Barbara Karnes
Publisher:
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2003
Genre: Death
ISBN: 9781737056805

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.

Hospice Social Work

Hospice Social Work
Author: Dona J. Reese
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 520
Release: 2013-02-26
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0231508735

The first text to explore the history, characteristics, and challenges of hospice social work, this volume weaves leading research into an underlying framework for practice and care. A longtime practitioner, Dona J. Reese describes the hospice social work role in assessment and intervention with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and the community, while honestly confronting the personal and professional difficulties of such life-changing work. She introduces a well-tested model of psychosocial and spiritual variables that predict hospice client outcomes, and she advances a social work assessment tool to document their occurrence. Operating at the center of national leaders' coordinated efforts to develop and advance professional organizations and guidelines for end-of-life care, Reese reaches out with support and practice information, helping social workers understand their significance in treating the whole person, contributing to the cultural competence of hospice settings, and claiming a definitive place within the hospice team.

Hospice: A Memoir of Life Among the Dying

Hospice: A Memoir of Life Among the Dying
Author: Deborah Lee
Publisher: Booklocker.com
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2020-10-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781647189730

Hospice is an often-misunderstood medical specialty. The reality of the work is complex, poignant, challenging, fulfilling, and even humorous. These essays shine light on the struggles, gratifications, and life lessons from a hospice social worker.

Values at the End of Life

Values at the End of Life
Author: Roi Livne
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2019-06-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0674545176

This insightful study examines the deeply personal and heart-wrenching tensions among financial considerations, emotional attachments, and moral arguments that motivate end-of-life decisions. America’s health care system was built on the principle that life should be prolonged whenever possible, regardless of the costs. This commitment has often meant that patients spend their last days suffering from heroic interventions that extend their life by only weeks or months. Increasingly, this approach to end-of-life care is coming under scrutiny, from a moral as well as a financial perspective. Sociologist Roi Livne documents the rise and effectiveness of hospice and palliative care, and growing acceptance of the idea that a life consumed by suffering may not be worth living. Values at the End of Life combines an in-depth historical analysis with an extensive study conducted in three hospitals, where Livne observed terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers negotiating treatment. Livne describes the ambivalent, conflicted moments when people articulate and act on their moral intuitions about dying. Interviews with medical staff allowed him to isolate the strategies clinicians use to help families understand their options. As Livne discovered, clinicians are advancing the idea that invasive, expensive hospital procedures often compound a patient’s suffering. Affluent, educated families were more readily persuaded by this moral calculus than those of less means. Once defiant of death—or even in denial—many American families and professionals in the health care system are beginning to embrace the notion that less treatment in the end may be better treatment.

Life in a Hospice

Life in a Hospice
Author: Ann Richardson
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2016-07-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1138031453

Highly Commended, BMA Medical Book Awards 2008 This book is about hospices, seen through the eyes of the people who work in them. Their individual voices, perspectives and stories invite readers into the day-to-day complexities of hospice life. There is growing public and professional attention to end of life care and the way dying patients and their families are treated. How can hospices make the process dignified and peaceful as possible? What sort of people dedicate their careers to helping the dying? What difficulties are they up against in providing this care, and what makes it all worthwhile?This inspirational book provides vivid, real-life accounts of hospice life from managers, doctors, nurses, carers and support staff. The thought-provoking narratives provide vital insights into the type of work undertaken in a hospice setting. They examine the differences between hospice and hospital care, and explore the challenges, personal motivations and the many ways hospices strive to meet the needs of patients and their families with sensitivity and respect. "Life in a Hospice" is enlightening reading for all healthcare professionals in palliative care, including volunteer, administrative and support staff. It is also highly recommended for nurses and others in caring roles considering a move into hospice work. Therapists, counsellors and religious leaders will discover poignant and encouraging insights, and people with a family member approaching the end of life will find the book reassuring and informative.

Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse

Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse
Author: Patricia Moyle Wright, PhD, MBA, MSN, CRNP, ACNS-BC, CHPN, CNE, FPCN
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2017-01-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0826131999

An on-the-go reference for hospice nurses and those interested in end-of-life care, this practical guide covers the essential elements in the compassionate and holistic care of terminally ill patients and their families. Nurses care for patients facing end-of-life issues in every practice specialty and, as the U.S. population continues to age, the need for proficiency in end-of-life skills will become increasingly important. Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse: A Concise Guide to End-of-Life Care is an invaluable resource that provides emotional, administrative, and palliative support, whether in a hospice, long-term care facility, or acute care setting. This vital go-to text clearly and concisely lays out not only how to care for patients facing end-of-life issues, but also how to engage in self-care and cope with occupational stress. Beginning with an overview of hospice care, including its history and philosophy, this book offers a timeline of the growth of the hospice movement in the United States. Subsequent sections include up-to-date information on the clinical responsibilities of the hospice nurse in addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients and their families in a culturally sensitive way. This book also outlines the administrative duties of the hospice nurse, including hospice documentation, a review of hospice regulations, and quality management. The closing section focuses on occupational stress in hospice nursing and how to engage in self-care. This text can serve as a useful clinical resource and also as a reference for nurses seeking hospice certification from the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. Key Features Organized within the context of the scope and standards of practice of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. Addresses key points about issues unique to hospice nursing and highlights evidence-based interventions Addresses important Medicare regulations and reimbursement Offers numerous clinical resources to assist with hospice nursing practice Serves as a concise study resource for hospice nursing certification

Dying in America

Dying in America
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 470
Release: 2015-03-19
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309303133

For patients and their loved ones, no care decisions are more profound than those made near the end of life. Unfortunately, the experience of dying in the United States is often characterized by fragmented care, inadequate treatment of distressing symptoms, frequent transitions among care settings, and enormous care responsibilities for families. According to this report, the current health care system of rendering more intensive services than are necessary and desired by patients, and the lack of coordination among programs increases risks to patients and creates avoidable burdens on them and their families. Dying in America is a study of the current state of health care for persons of all ages who are nearing the end of life. Death is not a strictly medical event. Ideally, health care for those nearing the end of life harmonizes with social, psychological, and spiritual support. All people with advanced illnesses who may be approaching the end of life are entitled to access to high-quality, compassionate, evidence-based care, consistent with their wishes. Dying in America evaluates strategies to integrate care into a person- and family-centered, team-based framework, and makes recommendations to create a system that coordinates care and supports and respects the choices of patients and their families. The findings and recommendations of this report will address the needs of patients and their families and assist policy makers, clinicians and their educational and credentialing bodies, leaders of health care delivery and financing organizations, researchers, public and private funders, religious and community leaders, advocates of better care, journalists, and the public to provide the best care possible for people nearing the end of life.

Living with Grief Since COVID-19

Living with Grief Since COVID-19
Author: Kenneth Doka
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2021-02-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9781893349193

A comprehensive review of grief and loss issues facing professionals and families due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospice Nursing

Hospice Nursing
Author: Margaret R. Crawford
Publisher:
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2017-08-29
Genre: Hospice care
ISBN: 9781546702252

Hospice nursing is not for the fainthearted. As Margaret R. Crawford, BSN, touches on in her new guide to this particular specialty, it takes inner strength to be able to walk up to a hospice patient's door every day. Crawford stresses that it isn't simply the technical aspects of hospice nursing that make it challenging, but the emotional attachments and anxieties that may emerge. In Hospice Nursing, Crawford covers the reasons someone would choose hospice nursing; the importance of self-care; the day-to-day routine of a hospice nurse; the admission conversation; different ways to treat and comfort patients with small children or patients with addictions; the complex relationships between nurses, patients, their families, and coworkers; the need to recognize and plan for burnout; and other basic challenges nurses must face. While hospice care may be demanding, Crawford is also quick to say that it can also be incredibly rewarding. As a nurse or caretaker, you are committed to making a difference in someone's life. Hospice care allows you to help alleviate the suffering of others. If this is something you are interested in pursuing, Crawford has all the information you need to get started.