Last Comforts: Notes from the Forefront of Late Life Care (ePub)

Too often, end-of-life care in the U.S. is fragmented, uncoordinated, costly, and unsustainable. But it doesn't have to be that way.Last Comforts: Notes from the Forefront of Late-Life Care spotlights many innovations that can make a significant difference as we approach the last chapters of our lives.

"A deeply insightful book that addresses the complex issue of helping individuals who need end-of-life care. Last Comforts presents real life situations and, most importantly, offers solutions, support, and resources." -- Steve Saling, resident, Leonard Florence Center for Living, Chelsea, Massachusetts

"Journalist Ellen Rand embedded herself in the front lines of end-of-life care and became a participant in the quest to transform dying. To anyone perplexed by why so many Americans die badly when so many en­lightened alternatives exist, Last Comforts provides answers and points the way to tangible solutions. Rand's investigative skills and wordcraft result in a must read book, not only for healthcare and policy wonks, but more importantly, for any adult child bear­ing the weight of parent care. Authoritative and highly readable, Last Comforts is at once sobering and hopeful."This book should be on the desk of every health care and human service ex­ecutive, every medical educator, and every legislator across this country."--Ira Byock, MD, Founder and Chief Medical Officer. Providence Institute for Human Caring; author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible

"Determining what has given meaning to one's life is often a topic of reflection by those approaching the end of their lives. Ellen Rand's personal experiences illustrate how serving others receiving late life care can teach all of us how to live more fully. In this book, baby boomers get to preview what lies ahead in their life journey." --Greg Schneider, Founder, Hospice Volunteer Association, and CEO, Hospice Educators Affirming Life (HEAL)