The book is organized into the following chapters:Ĥ. The book covers a broad scope of information but it's presented in a clear way with plenty of subheadings, pictures, bulluted lists and quote boxes. The topics cover concerns that are physical as well as emotional.

But it's also a guide to caregivers-whether they be family members or formal caregivers such as home health aides, certified nurse assistants, registered nurses or other health care professionals. The book provides information, advice and comfort for those who are living with an illness and later dying from it. The book also describes illness and death of younger adults and children. This book seeks to address a gross lack of understanding of how to manage very serious health concerns and how to function while active in the dying process.Įven though much of the book focuses on slowly progressing health issues of older adults, it does also contain information and narratives for sudden deaths. Our youth-obsessed culture pays very little attention to the realities of late life. Joan Harrold and Janice Lynch Schuster (MFA) present an information-rich guide to managing life with serious illness. Auden, Jane Kenyon, and others, addresses the needs of both the body and the spirit in our final years.Īuthors Dr. Process, one that is often kept hidden in our culture.įrom down-to-earth advice on how to talk to your doctor to inspiring quotes from such writers as Emily Dickinson, W. These give us moving firsthand insights into a profoundly important But equally important are the personal stories included here of how people have come to terms with serious illness and dying, how they have faced their fears and made their choices.

Such practical information is indispensable.

Readers will learn what decisions they will need to face, what choices are available to them, where to look for help, how to ease pain and other symptoms, what to expect with specific diseases, how the health-care system operates, and how the entire experience affects dying persons, their families, and their friends. Joanne Lynn and a team of experts, this book provides equal measures of practical information and wise counsel. Is warmly addressed to all those who wish to approach the final years of life with greater awareness of what to expect and greater confidence about how to make the end of their lives a time of growth, comfort, and meaningful reflection. Now, most of us will live with chronic conditions, and our dying will usually take longer, require more care, and demand more planning than ever before. Until two generations ago, people usually died suddenly, after an accident or serious illness. Modern medical technology has changed not only the way we live but also the way we die.

Handbook for mortals author