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One Foot In Heaven, Journey of a Hospice Nurse
People die everyday. While most people in America die in a hospital, many families choose hospice for end of life care. Death, as experienced by hospice nurses, can be beautiful, peaceful, humorous, touching, tragic, disturbing, and even otherworldly. Hospice nurses act as midwives to dying people every day. Death transforms not just the patient and family, but the hospice nurse as well. The stories in this book are presented with the hope that their transformation extends to you, too. Heidi Telpner, R.N.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 1, 2015
The author is a hospice nurse, and this is about her experiences in the hospice with people who are not being nursed to get better, but being kept comfortable until they die.
I've abandoned this book. To read and appreciate it I would need to be superstitious, some form of religious - is that a tautology, superstitious and religious? I'm an existentialist, I believe in the here and now and therefore am also a pragmatist. I am in no way 'spiritual'. I don't disrespect those that are, we must all find our paths through life, but then I don't have to read books based on this kind of pap.
The author quite early on describes the moment life, a soul, the spirit, that mysterious something that makes us 'us' and not just any body, leaving the body. I was ok with this as I've seen it. I was with my Grandma when she died. Everyone else had gone home. My father said not to wake him but to call him in the morning when she died. I lay on the bed next to her and sometimes held her hand and she passed from a drugged sleep, into coma and finally death. The instant she died she changed. Instantly. In death she looked like a thin old lady with yellowish wrinkled skin and tiny pointed feet. She was just a body.
But did I say that was the soul escaping it's earthly carapace? No. I said it was the muscles and skin and nerves that through the expression of our personality through the years had given us our individual countenances. With death, these relaxed back into the state of no control and so although she was recognisable she simply wasn't there.
So ok, good so far. Some way into the book, the author describes the only patient she ever knew who was afraid of death right to the last moment. She was shaking and flailing and pointing to the corner where the nurse saw nothing. But she says she knew it was the Angel of Death there that the patient could see. She didn't want to look she says, but her eyes were drawn there as to a traffic accident. I'm starting to think this book isn't for me. Logistically I can't see it's possible .
According to ecology.com, 153,424 people die each day in the world. How could the Angel of Death be not just at each person's death, but there for hours waiting? Or does s/he have deputies? Where is that in the Bible the Angel of Death came from?
In order to relieve this poor woman's suffering the author plunges a hypodermic syringe of a tranquillizer into the woman's thigh, and at the moment of piercing the soul, a wind, a wisp of smoke escapes, the soul is free she has died and there is just a trickle of yellow liquid rolling down her leg.
I read on for a while longer about when people choose to die, they wait for people to arrive or to leave the room, which I believe, but then when she says it is a known fact that dying patients are often released on the prick of a needle or a nudge I grew even more sceptical. I spoke to my friend who is a very religious Christian and had been a nurse. She didn't really confirm that.
I gave up the book. I'm reading One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine. It is a little more scientifically-based and a lot more intelligently-written.
------> Here endeth the review, what follows is anecdote <------
A bit about a hospice from my own experience. My mother was in one in North London. The nurses and doctors were by no means the most caring of individuals you might be led to believe. They were just doing their job. The doctors would not turn up for appointments, the nurses would be sitting around gossiping and not answering bells, the cleaners didn't bother cleaning the rooms properly, it was just a job. The man in the next room to my mother was completely paralysed and couldn't speak. All he could do was to press his buzzer next to his finger. More than once, hearing the buzzer going for ages, my brother or I would go in and help the man have something to drink. Ambulatory patients in the corridors would stop you to ask if you had seen a nurse meaning their buzzers hadn't been answered either. This was a top Catholic hospice, a very beautiful one with magnificent gardens.
The best people in the hospice were the receptionists, all old people who volunteered, from all religions and races, there was a different one every day of the week, but all were very nice. Also the nurses aides. These were mostly middle-aged women with children in school who wanted a few days work. If they were on duty they would change sheets that the cleaners hadn't, fetch food, and sit and chat, which to these people dying was probably the most important thing of all. There were some nurses who were like that too, but the majority, no it was obviously just a job.
The flowers were quite interesting. The hospice was full of flowers sent by relatives, friends and colleagues. If the patient died the receptionists would arrange them each day, removing the dead ones, and put them in public areas. But not all of them. Some, the freshest went back to certain florists (not all) for recycling into funeral flowers. Really, the funerals would be a week away. Just what were these florists actually doing with the flowers. Couldn't be rearranging reselling them could it? I have no idea.
My mother who only thought she was dying but perked up and flirted with the young handsome doctor who was often there and was rude to the nurses when they didn't do what she wanted or were very late. (And refused to speak to me, instead pointing at my sister-in-law to get her to speak to me when she felt she could get away with shit). Eventually the hospice said she had to go as she wasn't dying.
My brother and I found several nursing homes. The first one came to interview her and she threw a faux-hysterical fit panting and whatever pretending she was dying and screaming out for nurses. The nursing home refused to accept her. She did the same thing again to the second one. The hospice said that we had one week to find her somewhere and if we didn't they would put her in an ambulance and send her to my brother's home!
Eventually we did find her somewhere, a very lovely place, an old mansion in beautiful gardens, where the nurses, Polish, African, all kind of immigrants, were warm and loving people and became friends of my mother (she always liked people from different cultures) and she behaved herself right until she died. My mother did not have any form of dementia or hysteria, she was just a very narcissistic woman who liked the world to revolve around her.
That's life. And death.
I've abandoned this book. To read and appreciate it I would need to be superstitious, some form of religious - is that a tautology, superstitious and religious? I'm an existentialist, I believe in the here and now and therefore am also a pragmatist. I am in no way 'spiritual'. I don't disrespect those that are, we must all find our paths through life, but then I don't have to read books based on this kind of pap.
The author quite early on describes the moment life, a soul, the spirit, that mysterious something that makes us 'us' and not just any body, leaving the body. I was ok with this as I've seen it. I was with my Grandma when she died. Everyone else had gone home. My father said not to wake him but to call him in the morning when she died. I lay on the bed next to her and sometimes held her hand and she passed from a drugged sleep, into coma and finally death. The instant she died she changed. Instantly. In death she looked like a thin old lady with yellowish wrinkled skin and tiny pointed feet. She was just a body.
But did I say that was the soul escaping it's earthly carapace? No. I said it was the muscles and skin and nerves that through the expression of our personality through the years had given us our individual countenances. With death, these relaxed back into the state of no control and so although she was recognisable she simply wasn't there.
So ok, good so far. Some way into the book, the author describes the only patient she ever knew who was afraid of death right to the last moment. She was shaking and flailing and pointing to the corner where the nurse saw nothing. But she says she knew it was the Angel of Death there that the patient could see. She didn't want to look she says, but her eyes were drawn there as to a traffic accident. I'm starting to think this book isn't for me. Logistically I can't see it's possible .
According to ecology.com, 153,424 people die each day in the world. How could the Angel of Death be not just at each person's death, but there for hours waiting? Or does s/he have deputies? Where is that in the Bible the Angel of Death came from?
In order to relieve this poor woman's suffering the author plunges a hypodermic syringe of a tranquillizer into the woman's thigh, and at the moment of piercing the soul, a wind, a wisp of smoke escapes, the soul is free she has died and there is just a trickle of yellow liquid rolling down her leg.
I read on for a while longer about when people choose to die, they wait for people to arrive or to leave the room, which I believe, but then when she says it is a known fact that dying patients are often released on the prick of a needle or a nudge I grew even more sceptical. I spoke to my friend who is a very religious Christian and had been a nurse. She didn't really confirm that.
I gave up the book. I'm reading One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine. It is a little more scientifically-based and a lot more intelligently-written.
------> Here endeth the review, what follows is anecdote <------
A bit about a hospice from my own experience. My mother was in one in North London. The nurses and doctors were by no means the most caring of individuals you might be led to believe. They were just doing their job. The doctors would not turn up for appointments, the nurses would be sitting around gossiping and not answering bells, the cleaners didn't bother cleaning the rooms properly, it was just a job. The man in the next room to my mother was completely paralysed and couldn't speak. All he could do was to press his buzzer next to his finger. More than once, hearing the buzzer going for ages, my brother or I would go in and help the man have something to drink. Ambulatory patients in the corridors would stop you to ask if you had seen a nurse meaning their buzzers hadn't been answered either. This was a top Catholic hospice, a very beautiful one with magnificent gardens.
The best people in the hospice were the receptionists, all old people who volunteered, from all religions and races, there was a different one every day of the week, but all were very nice. Also the nurses aides. These were mostly middle-aged women with children in school who wanted a few days work. If they were on duty they would change sheets that the cleaners hadn't, fetch food, and sit and chat, which to these people dying was probably the most important thing of all. There were some nurses who were like that too, but the majority, no it was obviously just a job.
The flowers were quite interesting. The hospice was full of flowers sent by relatives, friends and colleagues. If the patient died the receptionists would arrange them each day, removing the dead ones, and put them in public areas. But not all of them. Some, the freshest went back to certain florists (not all) for recycling into funeral flowers. Really, the funerals would be a week away. Just what were these florists actually doing with the flowers. Couldn't be rearranging reselling them could it? I have no idea.
My mother who only thought she was dying but perked up and flirted with the young handsome doctor who was often there and was rude to the nurses when they didn't do what she wanted or were very late. (And refused to speak to me, instead pointing at my sister-in-law to get her to speak to me when she felt she could get away with shit). Eventually the hospice said she had to go as she wasn't dying.
My brother and I found several nursing homes. The first one came to interview her and she threw a faux-hysterical fit panting and whatever pretending she was dying and screaming out for nurses. The nursing home refused to accept her. She did the same thing again to the second one. The hospice said that we had one week to find her somewhere and if we didn't they would put her in an ambulance and send her to my brother's home!
Eventually we did find her somewhere, a very lovely place, an old mansion in beautiful gardens, where the nurses, Polish, African, all kind of immigrants, were warm and loving people and became friends of my mother (she always liked people from different cultures) and she behaved herself right until she died. My mother did not have any form of dementia or hysteria, she was just a very narcissistic woman who liked the world to revolve around her.
That's life. And death.
August 29, 2022
I listened to this Audible to learn more about hospice and what options I might want for end of life care. This book met both of my goals as well as provide engaging memories of the author's experiences as a hospice nurse.
September 21, 2014
My dad became a hospice patient two weeks ago. Thankfully, he only lived for a week under hospice care. My daddy wasn't going to rebound from the ugly cancer that was so quickly deteriorating his body. I came home from visiting him a few weeks ago and downloaded this book. I wanted to pull the curtain back and know more about hospice care. It was an interesting and informative read. I miss and love you, Daddy.
May 20, 2014
Excellent look at what hospice looks like from the eyes of a hospice nurse, and engagingly written. I found myself eagerly looking forward to the next story, macabre as that may sound. It's short (about 160 pages) but reasonably priced.
There are good deaths, there are bad deaths, and there are needlessly awful deaths. I will never forget the description of the daughter who so desperately wanted to "help" her dying father that she tube fed liquids until they were literally coming out of the dead man's nose.
Unless we are the first among our friends and family to die, chances are we will have to watch someone we love die. Hospice is a good option for many people; it is not the right option for everyone. The author takes pains to tell a story where hospice was NOT the right choice, actually added to the dying woman's suffering, but the family was insistent upon it.
While we can't control dying, and there are many things about it we cannot change, there ARE things we can choose: for ourselves, and for our loved ones, that make the transition from this life to what comes next, a bit easier. I highly recommend this book for those who are faced with their own imminent demise, or that of a loved one.
I recommend it even more for those who are not currently facing these kinds of situations, so that you can ponder the "what-if's" when you're NOT emotionally charged.
There are good deaths, there are bad deaths, and there are needlessly awful deaths. I will never forget the description of the daughter who so desperately wanted to "help" her dying father that she tube fed liquids until they were literally coming out of the dead man's nose.
Unless we are the first among our friends and family to die, chances are we will have to watch someone we love die. Hospice is a good option for many people; it is not the right option for everyone. The author takes pains to tell a story where hospice was NOT the right choice, actually added to the dying woman's suffering, but the family was insistent upon it.
While we can't control dying, and there are many things about it we cannot change, there ARE things we can choose: for ourselves, and for our loved ones, that make the transition from this life to what comes next, a bit easier. I highly recommend this book for those who are faced with their own imminent demise, or that of a loved one.
I recommend it even more for those who are not currently facing these kinds of situations, so that you can ponder the "what-if's" when you're NOT emotionally charged.
May 7, 2022
Wonderful insight into this Nurse's experiences of hospice nursing
December 18, 2014
Like most other reviewers here, my life has been touched by the kind hearts and helping hands of hospice nurses and so I was very interested to hear about other experiences. In my case, I have only ever seen "good death" results (where the person died peacefully and in comfort) although I know that it is not a guarantee from any hospice service provider. Although I know that the job has changed significantly in the past few years (Ms. Telpner touches on this briefly as her decision to leave; while technology has made some aspects of the job easier it also distances staff from the patients and turns a "care" role into an administrative one -- this is echoed by nurses near and far) I have seen some agencies manage their patients in the 'same old way' as ever and never let their requirements get in the way of patient care. This is admirable, but again cannot be guaranteed.
In this book, Telpner shares stories of some of her patients from a range of backgrounds. Many people do not realize that hospice is available to EVERYONE and so Telpner's role took her to mansions and also meth lab houses. Being the consummate professional, she does not let the environment affect the way she treats her patients. Although if it sounds too goody-two-shoes, there's plenty of down-to-earth moments and frank admissions to make the reader feel that Telpner is being truthful (i.e., being forced to act in counter-intuitive ways by management, having patients who she just doesn't "click" with, etc.).
If you're looking for an insider's look about the hospice industry, this is a great recommendation. It is not meant to be a step-by-step guide on "how to die" but gives a good foundation for what to expect (Will hospice nurses kill you? No. Even if you ask nicely? Still no. Will you get enough pain medicine? Yes. Will I poop my pants? Probably, but who cares? Enjoy what your body can do while it still can do it!) and possibly even what to ask for -- if a nurse doesn't "click" ask for someone else, if you want to be handled a certain way, speak up. You don't have to pray or be stoic -- cry if you want to, pretend you're in a play if you'd like, dress fancy or refuse clothes all together. Hospice is like a doula service into death. They will help you make a smooth transition with as little pain and fear as they can and you have a right for it to be handled the way you want it. If you're lucky to have caregivers as compassionate and understanding as Telpner, you're in for a remarkable transition.
In this book, Telpner shares stories of some of her patients from a range of backgrounds. Many people do not realize that hospice is available to EVERYONE and so Telpner's role took her to mansions and also meth lab houses. Being the consummate professional, she does not let the environment affect the way she treats her patients. Although if it sounds too goody-two-shoes, there's plenty of down-to-earth moments and frank admissions to make the reader feel that Telpner is being truthful (i.e., being forced to act in counter-intuitive ways by management, having patients who she just doesn't "click" with, etc.).
If you're looking for an insider's look about the hospice industry, this is a great recommendation. It is not meant to be a step-by-step guide on "how to die" but gives a good foundation for what to expect (Will hospice nurses kill you? No. Even if you ask nicely? Still no. Will you get enough pain medicine? Yes. Will I poop my pants? Probably, but who cares? Enjoy what your body can do while it still can do it!) and possibly even what to ask for -- if a nurse doesn't "click" ask for someone else, if you want to be handled a certain way, speak up. You don't have to pray or be stoic -- cry if you want to, pretend you're in a play if you'd like, dress fancy or refuse clothes all together. Hospice is like a doula service into death. They will help you make a smooth transition with as little pain and fear as they can and you have a right for it to be handled the way you want it. If you're lucky to have caregivers as compassionate and understanding as Telpner, you're in for a remarkable transition.
May 21, 2014
For the uninitiated, the concept of hospice may be hard to grasp. For one person it may involve involve a ward where a doctor sends a terminally ill patient at the end of his or her life. For another, it may be a philosophy held by a home-visit nurse who treats a dying patient. Whatever form hospice takes, it can be hard to understand what to expect before you or a loved one has been admitted to a hospice service. For this reason, “One Foot in Heaven”(2013) shines as an introduction to what families and individuals may experience as they begin their journey with hospice.
In this memoir, Heidi Telpner looks back on over 20 years of experience as a hospice nurse. She captivates the reader with stories that broadened her own perspective on death and the process of dying. Through her narrative we see low points, as she recounts tales of people clinging on to life, as well as high point, as when her connections with her client’s and their families forever change her outlook on life.
[Continued]
Full SevenPonds review:
http://blog.sevenponds.com/lending-in...
In this memoir, Heidi Telpner looks back on over 20 years of experience as a hospice nurse. She captivates the reader with stories that broadened her own perspective on death and the process of dying. Through her narrative we see low points, as she recounts tales of people clinging on to life, as well as high point, as when her connections with her client’s and their families forever change her outlook on life.
[Continued]
Full SevenPonds review:
http://blog.sevenponds.com/lending-in...
January 2, 2019
While this is a sad book in that you know all of the patients nurse Telpner talks about are going to die, I appreciated her sharing of the stories so that readers could see that hospice can be a positive experience, particularly when the patient and caregiver connect in such a way that allows the patient's final wants and needs to be addressed appropriately. Five years ago, after my mother's death after a long illness and the intervention of the hospice team, I wouldn't have been able to get through it, the wound too raw. Time can be healing, and while the memory of my mother was in the forefront of my mind as I read, it was more for comparison sake as I paralleled each story with hers.
Telpner's experiences weren't all positive, but she often also did comparisons between situations that caused issues for either her or the patient and patients whose situations were similar but had a much more peaceful progress to death and positive hospice experience.
It was a quick read, but I can see why it may not be for everyone.
Telpner's experiences weren't all positive, but she often also did comparisons between situations that caused issues for either her or the patient and patients whose situations were similar but had a much more peaceful progress to death and positive hospice experience.
It was a quick read, but I can see why it may not be for everyone.
July 27, 2014
From the very first page I was hooked. Whether discussing details of someone's death, their family dynamics, their home environments or their own idiosyncrasies, I eagerly read on, wanting to know more. The stories Ms. Telpner has shared with her readers evoked such a plethora of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I was disgusted, and those intimately cohesive moments with her patients and their families were so strong in my heart they were fairly palpable. I also felt deep respect for this author who calls death what it is--death--and doesn't sugar coat it by calling it `passing' or `moving on'
August 8, 2014
I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book. It's a lovely look at one hospice nurse's experiences with a number of specific patients, both positive and not-so-positive. It is a wonderful reminder for all of us that death is just as important a part of life as birth and that we all could do better to prepare for it and honor the process, whether we are the one dying or someone we love is dying. The collection of vignettes is interesting purely as stories, but it also provides Telpner the opportunity to give readers advice on how to die "a good death," one that's peaceful and provides closure and comfort physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I really enjoyed this.
January 28, 2016
A very comforting read
As an RN who has worked as a hospice nurse I found this book to be a reassurance in allowing a person to "die with dignity". The author's stories are heartfelt and demonstrates the compassion and care a nurse faces every day. Helping patients and families face the final stage in life is a gift to be cherished. I highly recommend this book . It is a fast, easy read leaving the reader feeling good. I do agree with the author that computers and charting have robbed the nurse time that should be spent in patient care. Nursing is to provide care to patient not to be chained to the computer.
As an RN who has worked as a hospice nurse I found this book to be a reassurance in allowing a person to "die with dignity". The author's stories are heartfelt and demonstrates the compassion and care a nurse faces every day. Helping patients and families face the final stage in life is a gift to be cherished. I highly recommend this book . It is a fast, easy read leaving the reader feeling good. I do agree with the author that computers and charting have robbed the nurse time that should be spent in patient care. Nursing is to provide care to patient not to be chained to the computer.
March 1, 2016
Anyone who has a relationship with a person who is terminally ill, will understand this book. I, like many others, have seen the wonders that Hospice nursing care can bring to the patient and the family. This book made me even more comfortable dealing with death than I was before. What "Angels" these people are! I will need care for a loved one in the near future, and thank God that these wonderful people will be available for both my husband and myself. This is a "comforting" book and it should be read by anyone who is facing a terminal illness.
July 19, 2016
HOSPICE WITH A BIT OF HEAVEN INCLUDED!
I loved everything about this book! At no time was I bored or uninterested! Even though I am not a nurse, I have always been interested in HOSPICE! I truly love being around people so I can help them. I love the stories they tell. I have empathy in all situations! There wasn't any part of this book or the stories she told that were sad,unbelievable or upsetting! There were so many different situations throughout the entire book, I just couldn't put the book down! A truly incredible read!
I loved everything about this book! At no time was I bored or uninterested! Even though I am not a nurse, I have always been interested in HOSPICE! I truly love being around people so I can help them. I love the stories they tell. I have empathy in all situations! There wasn't any part of this book or the stories she told that were sad,unbelievable or upsetting! There were so many different situations throughout the entire book, I just couldn't put the book down! A truly incredible read!
Read
February 4, 2014Extremely interesting book
The author writes with such vivid detail that you feel like you are there at the patient's bedside. I would recommend this book for anyone but especially nurses or nursing students. There are many things that we can especially relate to. This book also gives you perspective on the subject of death as well. I loved this book and I could barely put it down. EXCELLENT!
The author writes with such vivid detail that you feel like you are there at the patient's bedside. I would recommend this book for anyone but especially nurses or nursing students. There are many things that we can especially relate to. This book also gives you perspective on the subject of death as well. I loved this book and I could barely put it down. EXCELLENT!
April 2, 2014
Wonderful, heartwarming read
I am currently helping a relative who has been referred to Hospice and this book helped me so very much. it is so hard to let anyone you love go but with the assistance of Hospice, the transition has been easier to take. I truly admire and respect this author as all Hospice workers who devote their lives to the patients and families.
I am currently helping a relative who has been referred to Hospice and this book helped me so very much. it is so hard to let anyone you love go but with the assistance of Hospice, the transition has been easier to take. I truly admire and respect this author as all Hospice workers who devote their lives to the patients and families.
May 20, 2015
This is the story of one Hospice nurse,how she got to be a hospice nurse and the people she 'midwived' out of this world.It was interesting,well written and supposedly true.
Lori Moran was a perfect choice to narrate this book.Her voice is calming and led to a great 'listen'.
I was gifted a copy through Audioblast for an honest review.
Lori Moran was a perfect choice to narrate this book.Her voice is calming and led to a great 'listen'.
I was gifted a copy through Audioblast for an honest review.
July 27, 2015
Great read
As a newer nurse interested in hospice this was a book that kept me enthralled from start to finish! The stories were so intriguing and showed the gritty side and the special art of nursing.
As a newer nurse interested in hospice this was a book that kept me enthralled from start to finish! The stories were so intriguing and showed the gritty side and the special art of nursing.
March 19, 2016
Excellent, honest book
I loved it. I loved the honesty of the stories and, as a RN, I loved the way it was written. Very easy to follow and to understand. Thank you for sharing your incredible story.
I loved it. I loved the honesty of the stories and, as a RN, I loved the way it was written. Very easy to follow and to understand. Thank you for sharing your incredible story.
November 22, 2016
Amazingly honest tales of a hospice nurse
Heidi tells her experiences with grace and dignity. She honors both her occupation and her clients in a vivid recall of events and feelings.
Heidi tells her experiences with grace and dignity. She honors both her occupation and her clients in a vivid recall of events and feelings.
January 13, 2017
Anyone who will have a parent or friend die needs to read this book! Very informative. Great book
Anyone who will have a parent or friend die or is afraid of during should read this book! Great book
Anyone who will have a parent or friend die or is afraid of during should read this book! Great book
January 3, 2018
The complex and often not talked about parts of Hospice are so clearly and concisely laid out with just the right mix of humor. A touching book that emanates in my soul and will change my earthly outlook on death forever!
January 12, 2014
Fascinating to read the unique stories/experiences of patients upon their approach to death, told by a dedicated hospice nurse.
July 7, 2014
So inspiring
March 9, 2015
What a wonderful account of her amazing experiences in Hospice Nursing. Thank you for writing this book, Heidi.
Read
January 1, 2016loved it
March 8, 2016
very interesting. we always want to know how to deal with life but think very little of how we would deal with death. This was eye opening for me
July 18, 2016
Hospice nursing
Every day that I went
to work I could picture my
Myselff in her shoes. We choose this work because it is meaningful to us..
Every day that I went
to work I could picture my
Myselff in her shoes. We choose this work because it is meaningful to us..
August 6, 2020
A must read for all
As a previous HOSPICE HHA, except for the initials after our names I could of written this book. I always felt that we as HOSPICE personal are welcomed into a very personal & even private time in the dying persons & families lives. I found it a great pleasure to be requested by patients and family during their final hours. Unlike nurses we were not on call to respond to a home of a patient, but not once did I deny a call, regardless of the time,weather or Holidays. I was greatly blessed that I was employed by an agency that allowed such things.(many sadly do not, families & patients would request only to hear...”There not working right now”) there are countless experiences of witnessing those close to death seeing loved ones, that have gone before them or angels. On 2 occasions I witnessed patients who became absolutely terrified from what was coming to get them. I cannot stress enough to loved ones or caregivers to allow spiritual leaders be contacted at the request of a patient...it can make a difference of how they leave this earth...@ peace or fear. I have experienced seeing the soul leave a dying one, and felt the warmth of a light unseen to me.
The author was able to share those things that made the differences in her life and those she came in contact with, those like memories. Even those that filled her with fear for her own safety & those whom more concerned about golf games & parties, than a dying person in their home.
Is HOSPICE “work” for everyone? No! Are all HOSPICE Agencies perfect in providing in fulfilling the mission? Sadly no... I to witnessed the power plays of those in leadership with those in the trenches who see everything going on in homes. All in the name of profit Yet call themselves non-profit. Or personal feelings towards a employee. I have also seen the loss of many incredible staff due to computerized charting.
Thank you for such a wonderful book that can explain the truth of what happens during the most important time in many lives & deaths.
As a previous HOSPICE HHA, except for the initials after our names I could of written this book. I always felt that we as HOSPICE personal are welcomed into a very personal & even private time in the dying persons & families lives. I found it a great pleasure to be requested by patients and family during their final hours. Unlike nurses we were not on call to respond to a home of a patient, but not once did I deny a call, regardless of the time,weather or Holidays. I was greatly blessed that I was employed by an agency that allowed such things.(many sadly do not, families & patients would request only to hear...”There not working right now”) there are countless experiences of witnessing those close to death seeing loved ones, that have gone before them or angels. On 2 occasions I witnessed patients who became absolutely terrified from what was coming to get them. I cannot stress enough to loved ones or caregivers to allow spiritual leaders be contacted at the request of a patient...it can make a difference of how they leave this earth...@ peace or fear. I have experienced seeing the soul leave a dying one, and felt the warmth of a light unseen to me.
The author was able to share those things that made the differences in her life and those she came in contact with, those like memories. Even those that filled her with fear for her own safety & those whom more concerned about golf games & parties, than a dying person in their home.
Is HOSPICE “work” for everyone? No! Are all HOSPICE Agencies perfect in providing in fulfilling the mission? Sadly no... I to witnessed the power plays of those in leadership with those in the trenches who see everything going on in homes. All in the name of profit Yet call themselves non-profit. Or personal feelings towards a employee. I have also seen the loss of many incredible staff due to computerized charting.
Thank you for such a wonderful book that can explain the truth of what happens during the most important time in many lives & deaths.
July 3, 2019
The best.
I've read a lot of books about nursing and though I am an accounting graduate, I have always been interested in the medical field. Heidi's book gave me tons of knowledge as I am planning to work as a hospice volunteer in Las Vegas. She wrote clear and simple and she managed to even interject humor in some of her stories. This is one book you'll find hard to put away once you've started reading it. Thank you Heidi for imparting your wit and knowledge. I hope you'll succeed someday in writing a novel. Just don't include gargoyles on it. Good luck and best wishes to you always.
Noel Aranas; noela48@yahoo.com
I've read a lot of books about nursing and though I am an accounting graduate, I have always been interested in the medical field. Heidi's book gave me tons of knowledge as I am planning to work as a hospice volunteer in Las Vegas. She wrote clear and simple and she managed to even interject humor in some of her stories. This is one book you'll find hard to put away once you've started reading it. Thank you Heidi for imparting your wit and knowledge. I hope you'll succeed someday in writing a novel. Just don't include gargoyles on it. Good luck and best wishes to you always.
Noel Aranas; noela48@yahoo.com
December 6, 2020
As a Hospice CNA, I found this book to be incredibly touching. It is an accurate portrayal of what it is like to witness the end of life process and care for people who are dying. Tough read, even for someone who sees these exact kind of scenarios every day. It takes a special person to work with Hospice, and it is important that we continue to advocate and decrease stigma surrounding death. Thank you, Heidi. Your perspective is appreciated by those of us who walk this journey right along with you.
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