The End-of-Life Handbook: A Compassionate Guide to Connecting with and Caring for a Dying Loved One (Paperback)

~ (Author), Stephen Andrew Lasher Jr. (Author), Ira Byock (Foreword)
Key Phrases: opiate pain relievers, ailing loved one, open your notebook, The End of Life Handbook, Losing My Loved One, Get Over (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book addresses both the emotional and psychological issues associated with death and dying and the practical and medical realities typically dealt with at this time--unusual among titles in this subject area.

The authors, a psychologist and medical doctor, are passionate advocates for quality end-of-life care. Author Feldman's background in positive psychology brings an emphasis on hope, inspiration, meaning, and human connection at the end of life to the book.

As medical technology progresses and life expectancies edge upward, families are being faced with ever-more-complicated choices as loved ones approach their final hours. This book offers readers much-needed guidance and support for making these often difficult decisions.

About the Author

David B. Feldman, Ph.D, is assistant professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas and completed a fellowship in palliative care at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, where he worked with countless patients and families confronting serious medical illness. His research and writings have addressed such topics as hope, meaning, and growth in the face of life's difficult circumstances.

Steven Andrew Lasher, Jr., MD, is currently director of Palliative Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, CA. He also serves as the San Francisco medical director of Sutter Visiting Nurses Association Hospice and Home Care as well as the Medical Director of Coming Home Hospice. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Stanford Hospital and Clinics in Palo Alto, CA, as well as fellowship training in Palliative Medicine at Stanford/Palo Alto Veteran's Hospital.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 edition (January 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572245115
• ISBN-13: 978-1572245112
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,409 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #81 in

  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Death & Grief > Grief & Bereavement

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like having Drs Lasher and Feldman sitting with you, March 18, 2008

By	L. Blum "lsblumrn" (Pacifica, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The End-of-Life Handbook is a refreshing and comforting book that I wish I had had when my husband died three years ago. Reading the words of both Dave Feldman and Andrew Lasher feels like having them sitting with you, coaching you when you need help figuring out what to do. They offer practical advice about talking to doctors, how to understand your own feelings and to care for yourself when a loved one is gravely ill. If you only buy one book when you are helping someone with a serious illness, this is the one I would buy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Highly Recommeded Essential Resource, February 16, 2008

By	Nicholas E. Pisca (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Drs. Feldman and Lasher have created an extraordinary book. If you are facing the challenges of caring for a dying loved one you could benefit greatly by having this essential resource. I have never read a book that had such an immediate effect of preparing me for something so difficult: to be with someone during their final passage. My loved one is an octogenarian with cancer. As a first-time primary caregiver and health proxy, I didn't know where to begin. Once I started reading, it was hard to put the book down. Its non-technical voice was liberating and validating. Never before having experienced the throes of living with someone who has a terminal illness, I realized I was emotionally surviving one day at time without a thoughtful plan. I was managing finances, trying to understand medical jargon, and more, all while neglecting to take care of my own needs: guilt, anger, numbness, sadness, et cetera.

The End-of-Life Handbook speaks directly to you, acting as your own personal compassionate guide. It draws on the experience of two experts in the field of end-of-life care. The wisdom Feldman and Lasher provide is reassuring. Most chapters end with exercises that help you with practical (but overlooked) matters like creating a plan to take of care of yourself, or providing a list of questions to help with the often difficult conversation regarding your loved one's advance directives. In addition, anecdotes in each chapter bring to life the rich information the book has to offer.

This book is highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical Guide, February 12, 2008

By	Number One Teacher (Ohio) - See all my reviews

I recommend this book to anyone who has loved ones that are terminally ill. The valuable information in this book helps both the caregiver and the dying person understand and deal with the last stages of life. Everyone should read this book in the event that they have to deal with a terminally ill loved one.