When I first received this book, it looked like the worst kind of social work textbook. Chapter by chapter, however, the book won me over. Each chapter begins with an account of hospice in action taking care of a dying patient. Some of these accounts are especially gripping and poignant and could draw tears from a stone. The chapters are divided into two parts: from the point of view of the hospice nurse providing care and then a more theoretical description of basic principles that the chapter illustrates.
It would be a mistake for the reader not to absorb both parts. Some of the insights are extremely valuable. Let me quote just one. “A deathwatch that extends beyond its predicted bounds can be a terrible thing. The family wears out, even getting angry with the dying member when he doesn’t die, when their emotional energy can’t last beyond the expected time. It’s as if each one’s reservoir of patience and will is programmed, emptying its contents within a planned period. Never again will I put an hour or a day on the line! I’ve learned people do better without a measure in place.”
This is a book which anyone dealing with death and dying would profit from. A full spectrum of emotional and physical types is presented, illustrating how many different ways there are of dealing with death. This book would be especially valuable to anyone planning to do volunteer work in a hospice. In this book we see examples of compassion at work, a rare thing to find at any time.
