How I Lost My Mother: A Story of Life, Care and Dying by
How I Lost My Mother is a deeply felt account of the relationship between a mother and son, and an exploration of what care for the dying means in contemporary society. The book is emotionally complex – funny, sad and angry – but above all, heartfelt and honest. It speaks boldly of challenges faced by all of us, challenges which are often not spoken about and hidden, but which deserve urgent attention. This is first and foremost a work of the heart, a reflection on what relationships mean and should mean. There is much in the book about relationships of care and exploitation in southern Africa, and about white Jewish identity in an African context. But despite the specific and absorbing references to places and contexts, the book offers a broader, more universal view. All parents of adult children, and all adults who have parents alive, or have lost their parents, will find much in this book to make them laugh, cry, think and feel.
Here are some useful e-Books for the Patient Home Navigator Program. This is just a sampling of the texts available; for more options, please consult the correct boxes in the "General Information" tab. Of note: here is a journal as well, which may prove of use to you.
Hospice Palliative Home Care and Bereavement Support by 
Perinatal palliative care : a clinical guide by
This unique book is a first-of-its-kind resource that comprehensively covers each facet and challenge of providing optimal perinatal palliative care. Designed for a wide and multi-disciplinary audience, the subjects covered range from theoretical to the clinical and the practically relevant, and all chapters include case studies that provide real-world scenarios as additional teaching tools for the reader. Perinatal Palliative Care: A Clinical Guide is divided into four sections. Part One provides the foundation, covering an overview of the field, key theories that guide the practice of perinatal palliative care, and includes a discussion of perinatal ethics and parental experiences and needs upon receiving a life-limiting fetal diagnosis. Part Two delves further into practical clinical care, guiding readers through issues of obstetrical management, genetic counseling, neonatal pain management, non-pain symptom management, spiritual care, and perinatal bereavement care. Part Three discusses models of perinatal palliative care, closely examining evidence for different types of PPC programs: from hospital-based programs, to community-based care, and examines issues of interdisciplinary PPC care coordination, birth planning, and team support. Finally, Part Four concludes the book with a close look at special considerations in the field. In this section, racial, ethnic, and cultural perspectives and implications for PPC are discussed, along with lessons in how to provide PPC for a wide-range of clinical and other healthcare workers. The book closes with a look to the future of the field of perinatal palliative care. Thorough and practical, Perinatal Palliative Care: A Clinical Guide is an ideal resource for any healthcare practitioner working with these vulnerable patient populations, from palliative care specialists, to obstetricians, midwifes, neonatologists, hospice providers, nurses, doulas, social workers, chaplains, therapists, ethicists, and child life specialists.
Pediatric critical care : text and study guide by 
Clinical assessment of human suffering : planning care in the end of life by
This book is addressed to physicians and other health professionals involved in the assessment and care planning of patients at the end of life. It brings a unique and humanistic view on the challenges of good practice in palliative care. Concepts and definitions, resources and therapeutic alternatives, as well as symptoms of distress in the physical, emotional, family, social and spiritual dimensions are discussed in a clear and practical way, demystifying and dissolving the barriers of this approach.
Quality of life and person-centered care for older people by
This book explores the meaning of quality of life in care for older persons and introduces the reader to their main concerns when receiving care. Based on qualitative research, it pays particular attention to the needs and requirements of older people, considering their individual family situations, social circumstances, values and lifestyles. Person-centred care is a way of providing nursing care that puts older people and their families at the core of all decisions, seeing each person as an individual, and working together to develop appropriate solutions. Following an introduction to the concept of quality of life in old age, the book reviews essential findings from worldwide research into the experiences of older people with regard to nursing care and the impact of these experiences on their quality of life. It investigates health promotion, care provided in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and palliative care. Each chapter includes a brief introduction to the respective field of nursing care and the problems it has to deal with, concluding with a discussion of their implications for nursing practice in the respective field of care. In closing, the evidence from qualitative research is discussed in relation to current gerontological theories.
Ventilatory support and oxygen therapy in elder, palliative and end-of-life care patients by
This book provides readers with a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to non-invasive mechanical ventilation in palliative medicine, focusing on why and when it may be necessary. Physicians will find a practical guide to this specific context, particularly focused on pulmonary function and physiology in the elderly, and on ventilatory management in surgery and chronic stable conditions. The book provides detailed information on the rationale for invasive and non-invasive ventilation, the different modes of ventilation, indications and contraindications, prognostic factors, and outcomes. It addresses in detail the role of postoperative mechanical ventilation following various forms of surgery, and discusses key aspects of withdrawal from ventilatory support. Attention is also devoted to the use of mechanical ventilation within and beyond the ICU. The concluding part of the book focuses on important topics such as ethics, legal issues, home mechanical ventilation, drug therapy, rehabilitation and end-of-life. Its multidisciplinary approach, bringing together contributions from international experts in different specialties, ensures that the book will be of interest to a broad range of health professionals involved in the management of older patients admitted to the ICU, including intensivists, anesthesiologists, and geriatricians.
Ethical challenges in multi-cultural patient care : cross cultural issues at the end of life by
This book provides an up-to-date description of cross-cultural aspects of end-of-life decision-making. The work places this discussion in the context of developments in the United States such as the emphasis on patient informed consent, "right to die" legal cases, and the federal Patient Self-Determination Act. With the globalization of health care and increased immigration from developing to developed countries, health care professionals are experiencing unique challenges in communicating with seriously ill patients and their families about treatment options as well as counselling all patients about advance medical care planning. While many Western countries emphasize individual autonomy and patient-centered decision-making, cultures with a greater collectivist orientation have, historically, often protected patients from negative health information and emphasized family-centered decision-making. In order to place these issues in context, the history of informed consent in medicine is reviewed. Additionally, cross-cultural issues in health care decision-making are analysed from the perspective of multiple philosophical theories including deontology, utilitarianism, virtues, principlism, and communitarian ethics. This book is a valuable addition to courses on end-of-life care, death and dying, cross-cultural health, medical anthropology, and medical ethics and an indispensable guide for healthcare workers dealing with patients coming from various cultural backgrounds.
