“Changing the Way We Die: Compassionate End-of-Life Care and the Hospice Movement” by Fran Smith and Sheila Himmel
A Book Review by Compassion & Choices California Volunteer, Sid Adelman.
There’s
a myth that accepting hospice is a commitment to die in the very near
future. Choosing hospice does not mean you are giving up but it does
mean that you will be refusing aggressive treatments to prolong your
life. It means that you are choosing comfort over cure. Too often,
patients are referred to hospice in the last days of their life after
experiencing tests, surgery, procedures, and treatments that often have
not prolonged, and in many cases have shortened their lives.
This well-written book exposes the
reader to the world of hospice. It dispels many of the myths and
misunderstandings of what hospice can and cannot provide. More
importantly it can give those of us who are going to die (that means you
and me) a level of comfort that your last days, weeks and months will
not be filled with pain and suffering. The book gives all of us the
information we need to request hospice services for our elderly family
members and eventually for ourselves. Hospice is particularly good at
pain management but also provides a trajectory toward death that
includes some quality of life as opposed to the, often sterile, futile
and high-tech medicine that is the closest most of us will experience as
medical torture.
The case studies and stories are interesting and insightful into the
types of situations where hospice has been most helpful. In the case
studies we hear the words of the patients, their families and the
hospice personnel. The authors write about differences in the way
various cultures, races and nationalities view and deal with death and
their willingness to choose hospice. The book has wonderful references,
links and pointers to organizations that can provide additional
resources. Most importantly, the book provides information that will
help you and your loved ones make important end-of-life decisions. This
is a book to be read now and kept on your bookshelf as the grim reaper
makes his (or her) appearance.
Sid Adelman is an End-of-Life volunteer with Compassion and
Choices and he presents and gives workshops on advance directives for
health care.
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