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24/7 or Dead: A Handbook for Families with a Loved One in the Hospital

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Jari's husband was suddenly stricken with severe pancreatitis and spent six out of eight and half months in a four different U.S. hospitals, dependant on life support. Jari spent every moment by his side, she became involved in his treatments and care and participated in his recovery, she educated herself in his medications and treatments, and was there on more than one occasion to save his life. But her involvement was not always welcomed by the healthcare providers and she was often referred to as a "pain in the ass family member". She learned the hard way how to be a patient advocate and this is her story.

With hospitals and health care professionals stretched to the limit it is unfortunate that the healthcare system is resisting support from those who have the most invested in their patients, the family member.

Jari Holland Buck prepares us for the unimaginable events that we are never prepared to cope with. 24/7 or Dead is an essential guidebook that teaches the reader the critical importance of co-caring for and being a patient advocate for your loved one in the hospital. It is rich with valuable information, walking you through the process of difficult and confusing issues such as how to seek out the Patient Advocacy Office, obtain a Patient Rights Statement; legal questions such as when to implement a A Living Will and a Power of Attorney; and how and why you should educate yourself about the medications and injections being used to provide treatment.
The scope of this book encompasses much more than just the physical aspect, Jari approaches the topic of Prayer and Surrender with beautiful eloquence. "We have nothing to lose by praying, so be very clear about what you want", she says. "even if the answer is `no', you will know then that you have done everything that can be done and you can let go and surrender."

I especially liked an idea that Jari had; she suggests displaying pictures of your loved one, of the way they used to look while they were healthy, so that the nurses and staff can see him as a person and not just a patient.

24/7 or Dead is a timely and valuable resource, and though some of the content, such as the legal suggestions and hospital billing practices may not be pertinent in another country, the call to be more of a patient advocate for our loved ones has never been more necessary.

24/7 or Dead
By: Jari Holland Buck
Jan Holland Buck has written this book to recount lessons she learned over a period of eight and one-half months during her husband's hospitalization.

Jan's husband, Bill, was suddenly stricken with severe pancreatits. This rapidly progressed to multiple organ failure, severe infection, and seizures.

As a result of observing and involving herself in her husband's care, Jan has concluded, "Without the full-time presence of a family member for every patient in a hospital, I believe there is a very good chance mistakes will be made. Some of those mistakes could cost your loved one his or her life."

Jan details their story of hospital stays in four hospitals, six months of which were in intensive care. She has provided the reader with fourteen recommendations for implementation, important checklists to help with the implementation. She has included an Appendix with important fact sheets, tools, and sample legal forms, medical statements, billing information, and additional resources.

I am fortunate to have read the book at a time when I am not faced with a family health crisis. My wife is a registered nurse and worked for years in the Emergency Department. I have two sons who worked as EMTs for a period of time. I have been hospitalized on several occasions. Jan's book has opened my eyes to the importance of patient advocacy. As a result of reading 24/7, I plan to be more vocal in asking my primary doctor questions regarding known medical conditions, review my legal forms, power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and to leave written documents regarding important papers for my caregiver and family. In these papers I will note and have readily available a copy of Jan Holland's book.

This book is a book that should be read by every family caregiver and patient advocate. It is an important and timely resource for those comforting and counseling family members. The instructions and suggestions will give you insight into what you are facing and help you to have peace of mind in knowing you are a part of the healthcare team responsible for your loved one.

I highly recommend that 24/7 or dead be read by every adult family member before a family medical crisis forces that dreaded 9ll call for an ambulance.

Few escape a hospital stay at some time during their life, and all should read Jan Buck's "24/7 or Dead" before they need it.

In a very personal account, Jan shares her 8 month ordeal with a hospitalized critically ill husband. The lessons she learned are invaluable. In this easy-to-read book she gives recommendations in layman's terms, check lists and tools we can all use when we are faced with helping a hospitalized loved one.

Jan's book is not critical of the medical profession, but she shows you how to be your loved one's advocate while working with the doctors and nurses. Don't let medical mistakes claim the life of someone you love, be there for them 24/7.

As an RN I appreciate and second all the advice given in this book! It's easy to read, a fast read, and I'd encourage anyone to read it BEFORE they have a loved one in the hospital. The recommendations Jari Buck provides are applicable to all patients, whether in Intensive Care or the Emergency Room, during an extended stay or same-day procedure.

There are some minor medical details that are not accurate, or misspelled, but they do not affect the great tips and advice given in this book.

Who wants to even think about having to care for a loved one in the hospital let alone write about the worry, pain and fear. Its no question our lives can be disrupted in an instant. I'm glad I read Jari's book before I faced my mother's hospital experience. This book is a real eye opener. A must read. So much so I purchased copies for several friends and family members.

Don't wait until you need to know how to deal with hospital personnel, policies and paperwork. Read it now. Don't wait until you need to know how to deal with your own frustration, questions and fatigue. Read it now. If not for your sake then for someone else's so you can help them in their 24/7 'hour' of need.

It's compelling, real and straight forward. Are you prepared?

Jari Holland Buck has an innate ability to communicate practical guidance and instruction to simplify complex issues. Her history with the health care field in supporting her husband through his life threatening illness has given her a special insight that she now shares with everyone in her book, 24/7 or Dead. I have no doubt that the guidance Jari provides will benefit many lives to come.

When you or a loved one goes unexpectedly in the hospital, needing critical care, we are hardly in the mood to figure out what and how to do things. Jari has provided some important facts about what is needed and just how necessary it is to have an advocate. This book is helpful to everyone and a good read BEFORE something happens.

In a society that reveres doctors as if they were god-like, it is too common for the "loved ones" to turn over the care of their patient to the doctor. This can be a fatal error. Doctors are just as human as the rest of us, just a capable of inattention or error. And, when the patient is critical, inattention or error can be fatal. There is no law that says that the loved ones can't ask the right questions at the right time, can't focus the often overtaxed medical professionals when such focus is vital to the survival of their patient. Jari Holland Buck has done a masterful job of telling us laypeople what to look for, what are the right questions and the right time to ask them, and how to dialogue with medical professsionals when it is needed. I'm convinced that Jari's husband, Bill, would not be alive today had Jari not literally lived what she is recommending to the rest of us. If you think your loved one could become a patient whose life is threatened by their condition, you ought to read this book BEFORE that happens. And--let's get real here--anyone could be in that state at any time.

This book tells the story of my husband's and my dance with death while traveling through today's healthcare system, a system that is fraught with unintentional and increasing numbers of mistakes according to an April 3, 2006 news release in HealthDay News. I was a medical layperson with no formal training when we entered the hospital for a 5-7 day stay that turned into 8-1/2 months, 6 of which were on full life support. The practical and spiritual lessons I learned from catastrophic illness to recovery are the basis for 24/7 or Dead: A Handbook for Families with A Loved One in the Hospital.

Learn to be a healthy caregiver! Heal from the stress of caring for those critically ill and long-term care patients in our lives. Whether you have a loved one in the hospital, or you are the patient, the time has come to marry the world of spirit to everyday medicine. Doctors, nurses, advocates, ministers, family members and patients will benefit while playing an active role in the care of a hospitalized loved one.
* Discover the steps you can take to prevent medical mistakes.
* Step into your power and create better care for yourself or another.
* Promote spiritual healing in individuals of all faiths.

Join me as we perform this spiritual work!

I didn't think that this book would be as useful as it is. After reading this book I found many things I wanted to do, and have done, to be prepared. While I hope to never have to use the information from the book, I feel more prepared in case the need arises. A must have for those wanting to be prepared.