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By the fact that you
have come to this website, you are probably dealing with some very
difficult problems in your own life or the life of a loved
one. Or, you may be exercising wisdom
and foresight by creating end-of-life care plans long before a crisis
occurs. In any event, when one is forced to deal with mortality
and the dying process, it can be a soul-wrenching and heart-breaking time,
full of confusion and chaos.
Often, medical advice
is contradictory and ambiguous.
Guilt and fear can get out of control.
Where should you turn?
With whom should you speak?
A good end-of-life
plan starts early and involves much more than the healthcare power of
attorney and the living will. These important papers document and protect
the plan that should be created after learning, reflection, and
discussion.
Lance Davis, MD, MPH
and Albert Keller, DMin have written a
down-to-earth book on the dying process. It is a straightforward
guide for patients, families, and caregivers
that covers the practical, medical, spiritual and emotional issues
surrounding death in our society. By combining the voices of a
physician and an ethicist/theologian, the text will help you to understand
and accept the dying process, and equip you to take proactive steps to
reduce fear, pain and wasted time.
Drs. Davis and Keller wrote the text as if they were meeting with the
reader for a long conversation, using years of experience and training as
a basis for their explanations and advice. They are each deeply committed to
this subject and hope the book brings a measure of reassurance and
peace to a very difficult situation.
While the book makes reference to spiritual concerns, it is neutral
in its religious tone.
The discussions
include specific diseases such as cancer, dementia, pneumonia, and cardiac
disease. Hospice, comfort care, and the role of caregivers and
professionals are also explored.
Click here for a
book review from May 15.
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