The Dying Time: Practical Wisdom for the Dying & Their Caregivers [Paperback]

Joan Furman (Author), David McNabb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 26, 1997

"One of the best books available on caring for the dying, The Dying Time combines deep insight and down-to-earth practicality. All caregivers need to know what's between these covers. This book demystifies the process of death, yet honors the sacredness of life's final transition. Highly recommended."
Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Prayer Is Good Medicine

"Living until we die can be difficult. This book can guide you through that time. It is practical, spiritual, and filled with wisdom."
Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles

Here is a comprehensive and thorough handbook for the dying and their caregivers. Joan Furman and David McNabb walk the reader through the dying time, providing details on how to make the environment conducive to peace and tranquillity, give physical care, understand and respond to the emotional and spiritual crises that naturally occur, and stay healthy as a caregiver. They answer with honesty and sensitivity the questions most frequently asked, such as what actually happens at the time of death. The book also deals with arranging for a meaningful memorial service and handling grief for those who are left behind. And it offers guided imagery for coping with pain and suggests literature and music to ease the passage of those whose health is irreversibly failing.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In writing his guide, Klein draws on his extensive experience as a family therapist as well as his personal relationship with his 90-year-old father and the recent death of his mother. His examples and recommendations are both intriguing to read and practical. Klein explains recurring themes that confront adult children of aging parents, such as managing communication, unresolved feelings, emotional sensitivity, and the well-being of the caregiver. Later he recaps the five stages of dying identified by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. Klein writes with empathy and ease, succeeding in presenting ideas to assist and encourage the growing number of us who want to accept the change from child to loving caregiver with courage and grace. Once the reader adjusts to its upbeat tone, The Dying Time offers hope and a unique point of view. Furman (holistic nursing, Vanderbilt Univ.) is a nurse practioner who has witnessed more than 1000 deaths; McNabb is a lawyer and AIDS activist. Hopeful in the extreme, this duo views death as "the last dance of life...not an end, but a new beginning." Cynics may challenge Furman's belief that she knows "that life continues after the death of the body," and some might say that she states the obvious when advising choosing music for the sickroom that avoids sudden tempo changes or gets "spooky or loud." However, suggestions abound for the mental, spiritual, and physical peace of both the dying and the caregiver. Many lists outline practical steps that can ease daily stress, including tips on how to write an obituary, scripts for creative imagery, and a foot reflexology chart. Touching personal stories are also included. Overall, the messages in this concise little book are practical, clear, and comforting. Well suited for the general reader, both books are recommended for all public libraries.?Catherine T. Charvat, John Marshall Lib., Alexandria, Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Written by a consummate nurse and a humane attorney, The Dying Time addresses the multitude of everyday questions, concerns, and fears that arise in the process of dying. Preparing for death is a final step in living a healthy life. Furman and McNabb explain the complexity of dying in a simple yet personal voice."
--Virginia Trotter Betts, MSN, JD, RN, immediate past president, American Nurses Association

"An enormously useful book for caregivers, hospice workers, and anyone who wants to understand the stages of the dying process. This is the clearest and most straightforward text I have read on the subject."
--Joan Halifax, Ph.D., founder of The Project of Being with Dying

"A manual of immediately practical assistance for humankind's most significat--and often most frieghtening--moment, death. Besides an enthusiastic response from all who want to handle their own and others' deaths intelligently, this book deserves to be part of the core curricula in all schools of medicine and ministry. Already singular in its field, it seems inevitable that The Dying Time will become a classic."
--George Fowler, author of Dance of a Fallen Moni

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (August 26, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609800035
• ISBN-13: 978-0609800034
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,468,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief but thorough., August 22, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Summerville, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dying Time: Practical Wisdom for the Dying & Their Caregivers (Paperback)

As one who was one of my Dad's caregivers at home for 5 1/2 months prior to his death June 5, 1998, I found this book to offer very good advice. I especially liked the "guidelines for visitors"...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dying Time: Practical Wisdom for the Dying & Caregivers, December 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dying Time: Practical Wisdom for the Dying & Their Caregivers (Paperback)

This is a simple, powerful, and incredibly useful book for those who are helping a loved one through the final stages. Written with compassion, the book manages to explain certain painful issues with clarity. The "practical wisdom" offered helped me greatly when I needed to figure out how I could help a loved one whose condition was beyond helping medically.