Books about Palliative from Amazon.com

Five years after its first publication, with more than 150,000 copies in print, Final Gifts has become a classic In this moving and compassionate book, 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..
Price: $8.48 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Written for caregivers as well as the dying, Handbook for Mortals is an excellent resource for anyone facing the end of life. Authors Joanne Lynn, M.D., and Joan Harrold, M.D., offer sensitive and practical advice for the ambiguous final stage of a life-threatening illness--when hope for a recovery is waning and the patient and family members are turning toward a different horizon, that of accepting and supporting an imminent death. For the most part, the authors focus on physical concerns such as pain management, artificial feeding, and an especially poignant passage about assisted suicide.

Because of their backgrounds, the authors are also comfortable discussing the emotional complexities of dying, such as offering advice on giving and receiving forgiveness and resolving conflicts in close relationships. (Lynn is director of the Center to Improve Care of the Dying at George Washington University and Harrold is medical director of a Pennsylvania hospice.) The handbook offers many sidebars, including "Words to Try" when speaking with a sick person: instead of saying, "Dad, you are going to be just fine," the authors suggest saying, "Dad, are there some things that worry you?" Proceeds from the sale of the book support Americans for Better Care of the Dying, a national charitable organization devoted to improving care for the last stage of life. --Gail Hudson.
Price: $5.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This book addresses both the emotional and psychological issues associated with death and dying and the practical and medical realities typically dealt with at this time--unusual among titles in this subject area.

The authors, a psychologist and medical doctor, are passionate advocates for quality end-of-life care. Author Feldman's background in positive psychology brings an emphasis on hope, inspiration, meaning, and human connection at the end of life to the book.

As medical technology progresses and life expectancies edge upward, families are being faced with ever-more-complicated choices as loved ones approach their final hours. This book offers readers much-needed guidance and support for making these often difficult decisions..
Price: $10.33 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Four million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease and experts estimate that 22 million people around the world will be so afflicted by 2025. Far too many families are struggling with the emotionally and physically draining responsibility of redefining their relationship with, and caring for, someone who not long ago was a vibrant member of society, yet may not know their own name today.

A Dignified Life helps combat the burnout and frustration that often accompany the task of caring for an Alzheimer's patient. Author David Troxel, an Alzheimer's expert and executive director of the California Central Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, maintains that at its simplest this approach is based on treating the person like a best friend and working from their strengths, not their weaknesses. He explains: "As family members, caregivers and professionals, we have to try to connect with them. People with this disease in some way need someone to be . . . attentive and empathetic--someone who really tries to walk a mile in their shoes."

A Dignified Life goes beyond the typical tips offered by most books and takes advantage of readers' instinctive desire to build friendships and taps into the intuitive aspect of caregiving that is part of our very nature. It provides a complete model for care built around creative and effective communication and meaningful activities and includes touching stories that demonstrate how the Best Friends method continues to improve the lives of both those who have Alzheimer's disease and those who care for them.

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Price: $7.47 [Notify me when price goes down.]

New in Paperback! The "Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine" has firmly established itself as the definitive book on the subject and is highly acclaimed world-wide. The new edition has been significantly revised and updated to reflect the enormous changes in palliative care over the last five years. Two new international co-editors, Nathan Cherny and Sir Kenneth Calman, have been recruited and bring vast experience to the book.

The new edition includes sixty-six completely new chapters and contributors. New sections and chapters devoted exclusively to such non-malignant conditions as cardiac disease, non-malignant respiratory disease, non-malignant neurological disease and AIDS have been added as well as new chapters on palliative medicine in intensive care and geriatric care, and complementary and alternative therapies in palliative medicine. There is a brand new section on contributions to palliative care of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, music, art and speech therapists, stoma therapists, clinical pharmacists and clinical psychologists. Every chapter used in the first two editions have been radically reviewed and brought up-to-date. There are authoritative international contributions from over 150 renowned experts.

The book is written for doctors, specialist palliative medicine physicians, oncologists, geriatricians, surgeons, family physicians, neurologists and chest physicians. We know, however, that it is much used by nurses and researchers in other disciplines, though not written primarily for them..
Price: $100.01 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Textbook of Palliative Medicine provides an alternative, truly international approach to this rapidly growing specialty This textbook fills a niche with its evidence-based, multi-professional approach and global perspective ensured by the international team of editors and contributing authors. In the absence of an international `curriculum` for the study of palliative medicine, this textbook provides essential guidance for those both embarking upon a career in palliative medicine or already established in the field, and the structure and content have been constructed very much with this in mind.
With an emphasis on providing a service anywhere in the world, including the important issue of palliative care in the developing nations, Textbook of Palliative Medicine offers a genuine alternative to the narrative approach of its competitors, and is an ideal complement to them. It is essential reading for all palliative care physicians in training and in practice, as well as palliative care nurses and other health professionals in the palliative care team..
Price: $99.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Designated a Doody's Core Title!

Winner of an AJN Book of the Year Award

The second edition of this award-winning text provides the essential guide to achieving best practices in palliative care nursing. It offers a blend of holistic, spiritual, cultural, and humanistic caring coupled with aggressive management of pain and symptoms associated with advanced disease. With over 20 percent of the book covering pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain management, and with a focus on both clinical and holistic treatment, major figures in the field of palliative care nursing outline eleven specific skill competencies in this specialty.

Used as a resource in the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Cancer Institute, which has successfully trained thousands of nurse educators, and organized around the competencies in palliative care nursing developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, this book is an essential resource for both students and practitioners.

New to the 2nd Edition:


• Updated information in each chapter
• New chapter on professional organizations and certification in palliative care nursing

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Price: $49.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]