Caregiving

One of America's leading hospice experts offers practical, easy-to-follow advice for caregivers and a holistic approach to treating the infirm or the terminally ill.
Author Douglas C. Smith organizes his material around "A Bill of Patient's Rights," a unique system he has taught to thousands throughout the country. He explains that the caregiver should enable patients to retain these rights:

to be in control

to have a sense of purpose

to know the truth to be comfortable

to touch and be touched

to laugh to cry and express anger

to explore the spiritual to have a sense of family

Included are easy-to-follow techniques and practical tools for improving care:

assessment techniques

dialogues

meditations

life reviews

breathing exercises

body revitalization methods

ways that patients can evaluate and improve their own care

and many others

Filled with inspirational stories and effective guidance, Caregiving also addresses how to communicate with difficult patients and those in denial, how to facilitate non-stressful family interaction, and other important topics. It will be invaluable to parents and children caring for their elders; physicians and nurses; social workers and home health aides; members of the clergy; and all facing the challenge of enriching patients' lives and spirits.