Review of ‘Life in a Hospice: Reflections on Caring for the Dying’ by Ann Richardson

I must say that this non-fiction book is a very interesting read, and was highly commended by the British Medical Association in 2008.

These are true life conversations that the author has had with people who work in hospices.  These angels of mercy share their thoughts and feelings about their jobs and enlarge on the kind of end-of-life care that we don’t really want to think about until it’s our turn to undergo it.  These conversations amongst others include care of the dying person, pain relief, dealing with relatives, and even how the body is prepared after death.

http://bookShow.me/B06XKJ2MCN

It’s not all doom and gloom.  Staff try to give the patients hope and encourage them to pursue their hobbies, and do not talk about death if the patient does not want to know.  This type of work is obviously a vocation, and we must be thankful for these people who want to make our passage out of this world as easy as possible.  All aspects of working in a hospice are discussed, and this book could also serve as an educational tool.

I have several relatives whose end-of-life experiences were in hospices, and when it comes to the dying process I personally am in favour of hospices over hospitals, as the staff are less rushed and have more time to care for the patient.  Nobody runs around like headless chickens in hospices (as staff tend to do on hospital wards), and there is an overall sense of peace and serenity.

I award this very informative book 5 stars!