The Bottom Line
I flew through this book in one weekend. I shed tears of both sadness and joy, and connected to each story on a personal level. This is a priceless read for those who are losing a loved one.
Pros
- Offers insight into what a dying person experiences through real stories
- Provides those who are losing a loved one possible explanations of confusing behavior
- Brief but moving stories keep readers engaged from beginning to end
Cons
- Non-Christians may feel alienated by the predominately Christian view on spirituality near death
Description
- Authors: Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley
- Publisher: Bantam Books
- Year Published: 1992
- ISBN 0-553-37876-7
- Soft Cover Price: $17.00 (US)
- 239 Pages
Guide Review - Book Review: Final Gifts
At a visit to a patient not so long ago, the patients family told me that he wanted to be dressed in his suit and to pack his suitcase. His family was confused and asked where he thought he was going. He simply said "home". Similar stories are shared in this beautifully written book. The dying can communicate their needs and even convey what they feel if we know how to listen.
Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communication of the Dying draws on the authors' 57 years of combined experience caring for the dying -- experience that is priceless for those of us who are facing death for the first time. Poignant stories of real patients and their loved ones paint us a picture of what the dying so desperately want us to know.
The last chapter provides practical uses and tips to applying them in your particular situation. It even includes a section for professional caregivers, and I'm certain I will be applying all of the tips in my practice.
And if your wondering, my patient did go "home" that evening. He died just hours after I left.
