Spirit Matters: How to Remain Fully Alive with a Life-Limiting Illness

by Judy Flickinger

Death...takes only a moment; you breathe out and you don't breathe in--that is death. On the other hand, dying can take a very long time, and depending on how you approach it, it can be either a miserable, sometimes terror-filled experience or an enlightening adventure. In Spirit How to Remain Fully Alive with a Life-Limiting Illness, Judy Flickinger offers a seldom-considered but all-important perspective on what really matters at the end of life. As retired hospice nurse turned author, Judy focuses on the importance of keeping the spirit--the person inside the dying body--alive and well during the course of a life-limiting illness. Spirit Matters exposes the motives, misconceptions, and lack of knowledge that often prevent dying people from receiving the type of care that can create and maintain a healthy spirit. The message in Spirit Matters is conveyed in eleven lessons illuminated by the personal stories of dying people and their families. Readers will learn, laugh, cry, and hopefully realize that near the end of life, first and foremost, Spirit Matters.

182 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published March 30, 2010

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for caregivers, patients and family members dealing with end of life issues. It is told from the perspective of a hospice nurse and wonderfully describes how to treat the spirit of the dying as well as the body. It is full of compassion as well as thoughtful and practical advice for working through these sensitive times. This book dramatically changed my perspective on these issues and was wonderfully comforting during my own time of need with a loved one.