Exploring End of Life Experience

Exploring End of Life Experience PDF Author: Helen Besemeres
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000970280
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
The groundbreaking contribution made by this unique book draws on the experiences recorded by five people who are facing death – Jenny Diski, Philip Gould, Christopher Hitchens, Michael Mayne and Cory Taylor. Analysing the key themes that emerge from a psychodynamic perspective, the book describes how the memoirists respond to the first shock of receiving a terminal diagnosis, how they meet the challenge of continuing an active life when the illusion of an open-ended future has gone, and finally, how they struggle with accepting death as it overtakes them. The author argues that the ability to accept personal death is the key to resolving the paradox of our need to survive at all costs, while at the same time, however much we might deny it, we know that we must die. In a society where death and dying occur largely out of sight, this book provides information about what it is like to die – physically, psychologically and emotionally – and invites us to think about coming to terms with death. Exploring End of Life Experience is an important contribution to the interdisciplinary literature on death and dying, relevant to scholars and practitioners in medicine, nursing, psychology, and the wider medical humanities.

Exploring End of Life Experience

Exploring End of Life Experience PDF Author: Helen Besemeres
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000970280
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Get Book Here

Book Description
The groundbreaking contribution made by this unique book draws on the experiences recorded by five people who are facing death – Jenny Diski, Philip Gould, Christopher Hitchens, Michael Mayne and Cory Taylor. Analysing the key themes that emerge from a psychodynamic perspective, the book describes how the memoirists respond to the first shock of receiving a terminal diagnosis, how they meet the challenge of continuing an active life when the illusion of an open-ended future has gone, and finally, how they struggle with accepting death as it overtakes them. The author argues that the ability to accept personal death is the key to resolving the paradox of our need to survive at all costs, while at the same time, however much we might deny it, we know that we must die. In a society where death and dying occur largely out of sight, this book provides information about what it is like to die – physically, psychologically and emotionally – and invites us to think about coming to terms with death. Exploring End of Life Experience is an important contribution to the interdisciplinary literature on death and dying, relevant to scholars and practitioners in medicine, nursing, psychology, and the wider medical humanities.

Death Is But a Dream

Death Is But a Dream PDF Author: Christopher Kerr
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0525542841
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
The first book to validate the meaningful dreams and visions that bring comfort as death nears. Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love and grace. Beyond the physical realities of dying are unseen processes that are remarkably life-affirming. These include dreams that are unlike any regular dream. Described as "more real than real," these end-of-life experiences resurrect past relationships, meaningful events and themes of love and forgiveness; they restore life's meaning and mark the transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. Drawing on interviews with over 1,400 patients and more than a decade of quantified data, Dr. Kerr reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process. He shares how his patients' stories point to death as not solely about the end of life, but as the final chapter of humanity's transcendence. Kerr's book also illuminates the benefits of these phenomena for the bereaved, who find solace in seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure. Beautifully written, with astonishing real-life characters and stories, this book is at its heart a celebration of our power to reclaim the dying process as a deeply meaningful one. Death Is But a Dream is an important contribution to our understanding of medicine's and humanity's greatest mystery.

Exploring Issues of Care, Dying and the End of Life

Exploring Issues of Care, Dying and the End of Life PDF Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 1848880588
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
In Exploring Issues of Care, Dying and the End of Life, practitioners and academics from a range of disciplines and nationalities discuss matters pertinent to the end of life. Together they explore a variety of issues including communication, facing up to and handling death, as well as investigating what constitutes the 'good death'.

Caring for Patients at the End of Life

Caring for Patients at the End of Life PDF Author: Timothy E. Quill
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199748918
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
In Caring for Patients at the End of Life: Facing an Uncertain Future Together, Dr. Quill uses his wide range of clinical experience caring for severely ill patients and their families to illustrate the challenges and potential of end-of-life care. Section one utilizes the near death experiences of two patients to explore values underlying medical humanism, and then presents the case of "Diane" to explore the fundamental clinical commitments of partnership and non-abandonment. Section two explores, illustrates, and provides practical guidance for clinicians, patients, and families about critical communication issues including delivering bad news, discussing palliative care, and exploring the wish to die. In section three, difficult ethical and policy challenges inherent in hospice work, including the rule of double effect, terminal sedation, and physician-assisted suicide, are explored using a mix of real cases and an analysis of underlying clinical, ethical, and policy issues. In a final chapter, Dr. Quill discusses the tragic death of his brother which occurred as this book was being completed, and how his family made the most emotionally challenging decisions of their lives. Dr. Quill exposes readers to an internally consistent and practical way of thinking by simultaneously embracing the potential of palliative care, and also acknowledging that it has limitations. His philosophy of offering forthright discussions with patient and family, mutual decision-making, ensuring medical and palliative care expertise and of committing to see the dying process through to the patient's death is vividly illustrated.

Dying Well

Dying Well PDF Author: Ira Byock
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110150028X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
From Ira Byock, prominent palliative care physician and expert in end of life decisions, a lesson in Dying Well. Nobody should have to die in pain. Nobody should have to die alone. This is Ira Byock's dream, and he is dedicating his life to making it come true. Dying Well brings us to the homes and bedsides of families with whom Dr. Byock has worked, telling stories of love and reconciliation in the face of tragedy, pain, medical drama, and conflict. Through the true stories of patients, he shows us that a lot of important emotional work can be accomplished in the final months, weeks, and even days of life. It is a companion for families, showing them how to deal with doctors, how to talk to loved ones—and how to make the end of life as meaningful and enriching as the beginning. Ira Byock is also the author of The Best Care Possible: A Physician's Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life.

Family Communication at the End of Life

Family Communication at the End of Life PDF Author: Maureen P. Keeley
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3038425184
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description
This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Family Communication at the End of Life" that was published in Behavioral Sciences

Care, Loss and the End of Life

Care, Loss and the End of Life PDF Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 1848884877
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
This volume was first published by Inter-Disciplinary Press in 2016. This inter- and multi-disciplinary volume examines various experiences of loss, whether we encounter it in the form of lost loved ones, lost relationships, lost opportunities or the loss of capabilities as we age. Loss is something we can experience personally, as part of a family, and as part of a community whose collective experiences of loss occasions more public displays of commemoration. We are constantly challenged to find ways of coping and surviving in the face of different types of loss. Due in part to the complexities of the concept itself and the resistance many individuals feel toward discussing painful subjects, it is often difficult to engage in the sort of robust, inter-disciplinary dialogue that is needed to explore fully the links between living, suffering, dying, and surviving loss. Thus, this volume is profoundly interdisciplinary, as it explores how loss can be expressed through cognitive, affective, somatic, behavioral/interpersonal, and spiritual grief responses.

The Good Death

The Good Death PDF Author: Ann Neumann
Publisher: Beacon Press
ISBN: 0807080632
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Following the death of her father, journalist and hospice volunteer Ann Neumann sets out to examine what it means to die well in the United States. When Ann Neumann’s father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she left her job and moved back to her hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She became his full-time caregiver—cooking, cleaning, and administering medications. When her father died, she was undone by the experience, by grief and the visceral quality of dying. Neumann struggled to put her life back in order and found herself haunted by a question: Was her father’s death a good death? The way we talk about dying and the way we actually die are two very different things, she discovered, and many of us are shielded from what death actually looks like. To gain a better understanding, Neumann became a hospice volunteer and set out to discover what a good death is today. She attended conferences, academic lectures, and grief sessions in church basements. She went to Montana to talk with the attorney who successfully argued for the legalization of aid in dying, and to Scranton, Pennsylvania, to listen to “pro-life” groups who believe the removal of feeding tubes from some patients is tantamount to murder. Above all, she listened to the stories of those who were close to death. What Neumann found is that death in contemporary America is much more complicated than we think. Medical technologies and increased life expectancies have changed the very definition of medical death. And although death is our common fate, it is also a divisive issue that we all experience differently. What constitutes a good death is unique to each of us, depending on our age, race, economic status, culture, and beliefs. What’s more, differing concepts of choice, autonomy, and consent make death a contested landscape, governed by social, medical, legal, and religious systems. In these pages, Neumann brings us intimate portraits of the nurses, patients, bishops, bioethicists, and activists who are shaping the way we die. The Good Death presents a fearless examination of how we approach death, and how those of us close to dying loved ones live in death’s wake.

Dying: A Social Perspective on the End of Life

Dying: A Social Perspective on the End of Life PDF Author: Alex Broom
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317147464
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
An inevitable and universal experience, dying is experienced by individuals in different ways, often related to the character of our relationships, family structures, gender identities, cultural backgrounds, and economic means. Drawing on extensive qualitative fieldwork with patients, carers and health professionals in Australia and the United Kingdom, Dying: A Social Perspective on the End of Life provides a critical examination of the different spheres of dying, in social and cultural context. Exploring complex issues such as the politics of assisted dying, negotiating medical futility, gender and dying, the desire for redemption, the moralities of 'the good fight' and the lived experience of bodily disintegration, this book links novel theoretical ideas within sociology to cutting-edge empirical data collected in palliative and end-of-life care contexts. A theoretically engaged understanding of the social mediation of the end of life, Dying: A Social Perspective on the End of Life also sheds light on the manner in which the end of life can be shaped by major economic, cultural and socio-cultural shifts including neo-liberalism, individualisation, medicalisation, professionalisation and detraditionalisation. As such, it will appeal to social science, health and medical researchers interested in the end of life, as well as those working in palliative and end-of-life care settings.

Exploring spirituality and medicine : Navigating the path to holistic wellness

Exploring spirituality and medicine : Navigating the path to holistic wellness PDF Author: Usha Topalkatti
Publisher: KVR Book Central
ISBN: 9391693814
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 131

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Book Description
In a world where the realms of science and spirituality often seem worlds apart, there exists a profound intersection that has the potential to redefine our understanding of health and well-being. "Exploring Spirituality and Medicine: Navigating the Path to Holistic Wellness" invites you on a journey that transcends the boundaries of conventional medicine, guiding you through a fascinating exploration of the profound connections between the human spirit and the practice of healing. This book is an endeavor to bridge the gap between the empirical and the ethereal, to navigate the harmonious dance of the body, mind, and spirit. Each chapter delves into the intricate connections that exist between our physical health, the energy centers known as chakras, and the boundless potential of our spiritual selves. Our exploration takes us from the fundamental understanding of spirituality's role in medicine to the profound practices that can transform our health and lives. In Chapter 1, "Introduction to Spirituality and Medicine," we lay the foundation for this transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the spiritual dimensions of our well-being. Chapter 2, "The Science of Chakras," takes us deep into the energy centers of the body, unravelling their significance and their impact on our health. Chapter 3, "The Mind-Body Connection," explores the intricate interplay between our thoughts, emotions, and physical health. We then move on to the profound relationship between "Spirituality and Health" in Chapter 4, demonstrating the healing power of our spiritual selves. Chapters 5 and 6, "Spiritual Practices for Health" and "Spiritual Healing of Illness," provide practical insights into incorporating spirituality into your daily life and utilizing it as a powerful tool for healing. The transformative journey culminates in Chapter 7, "Reiki: The Crystal Journey of Healing," where we explore the ancient and mystical practice of Reiki, a pathway to profound healing and spiritual growth. This book is a heartfelt invitation to embark on a voyage that will inspire you to embrace the unity of body, mind, and spirit. It is a tribute to the enduring spirit within us and the limitless potential it holds for healing and transformation. Whether you are a healthcare professional, a spiritual seeker, or simply someone curious about the connections between spirituality and medicine, this book offers you a compass to navigate the path to holistic wellness. As you embark on this journey, may you discover the power of spiritual healing and the profound impact it can have on your life. Welcome to a world where science and spirituality harmoniously converge, offering a new perspective on health and a path to holistic well-being. Let us embark on this enlightening journey together.