Main description:

Hospice care is available to patients and families dealing with terminal illness. People often do not avail themselves of hospice care because they don't understand what it entails. Many wait until their last few days to request this extraordinary comfort care instead of using the full six months available to them through Medicare and other insurance options.

Demystifying Hospice describes through stories good news about end-of-life issues. Written from the perspective of a licensed social worker with experience in public and private hospitals, hospice, and the American Cancer Society, these first-hand accounts of patients, family members, hospice workers and others will lift spirits, touch hearts, and illustrate the advantages of hospice care. These are real-life examples of personalized comfort care, offered by an interdisciplinary team, where ever the patient lives. Each story addresses some aspect of helping families through the caregiving and grieving process, which are part-and-parcel of a serious illness, and offers comfort and understanding to readers who may be going through similar experiences. This book describes hope, healing, and support through difficult times.

Contents:

INTRODUCTION "Why have I written this Book?"
WHAT IS HOSPICE and HOW DOES IT WORK?
CHAPTER 1 FIRST VISITS BY THE SOCIAL WORKER
CHAPTER 2 HOSPICE CARE AT HOME
CHAPTER 3 CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER
CHAPTER 4 HOSPICE IN A PLACE YOU CALL HOME
CHAPTER 5 FINDING MEANING
CHAPTER 6 DRAMATIC CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 7 SOCIAL ISOLATION
CHAPTER 8 SAYING GOODBYE
CHAPTER 9 REMEMBERING
CHAPTER 10 MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT END-OF-LIFE CARE
CHAPTER 11 MAKING GOOD END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS
CHAPTER 12 REFLECTIONS