Main description:

A practical guide for understanding how palliative care can improve quality of life for patients and their caregivers.

Robin Bennett Kanarek was a registered nurse working with patients suffering from chronic medical conditions when her ten-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia. As her son endured grueling treatments, Robin realized how often medical professionals overlook critical psychological, emotional, and spiritual support for people with life-threatening illnesses. Living Well with a Serious Illness is the culmination of decades of Robin's work to advance the field of palliative care.

Although palliative care is often associated with hospice and end-of-life planning, Kanarek argues for a more expanded definition that incorporates palliative care earlier in patients' journeys. Living Well with a Serious Illness helps patients and their caregivers understand

* what palliative care entails
* how to access the support they need when going through a serious illness
* what questions to ask medical professionals
* how to navigate advanced care planning
* definitions of common terminology used with end-of-life planning
* the importance of spiritual care, coping strategies, and emotional support
* how to become an advocate for palliative care

This book illuminates the importance of seeing patients as individuals who can benefit from care for their body, mind, and spirit-the core tenet of palliative care.

Contents:

Foreword by Sunita Puri, MD
Introduction: David's Story
1. What is Palliative Care?
2. Barriers to Palliative Care: Taking Care of the Person Versus Fighting the Disease
3. How We Want to Die: Palliative Care's Benefits for Patients and Their Loved Ones
4. How to Get the Care You Want: Knowing What to Ask For, What to Expect, and What to Demand
5. How to Cope When Illness Changes Everything: Quality-of-Life Care Includes the Family
6. Putting it All Together: Creating an Action Plan for When the End is Near
7. Spirituality and Well-Being: Care of the Spirit Matters Too
8. Grief: Tapping into Restorative Sources After Goodbye
9. Making Palliative Care Mainstream: What Legislators, Philanthropists, Educators, and You Can Do
Epilogue: David's Legacy-The Kanarek Family Foundation
Resources
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index