Hospice Palliative Care
Book Reviews

Dr. Woodruff, MD
(Australia)

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THE PALLIATIVE RESPONSE

F. Amos Bailey
Menasha Ridge Press, 2005
308 pp
ISBN 0-89732-968-6
RRP $US23.95

The unique format of this book is appealing. Designed for the self-learner or as a curriculum for teaching on rounds or in the small group setting, each chapter starts with a list of key points, followed by an easy to read presentation in slide format. There is also a list of recommended reading at the end of each chapter. The coverage is good and includes both the physical symptoms and the psychosocial concerns that arise in end-of-life care. Some may feel it is not comprehensive enough, but as a concise, affordable basic textbook for palliative care, I like it.

COUNSELLING SKILLS IN PALLIATIVE CARE  

Jean Bayliss
Quay Books, 2004
193 pp
ISBN 1-85642-234-8
RRP £19,

This is a very useful book that clearly explains the theory and application of counselling skills as they apply to palliative care. The text includes case scenarios and many challenging questions and exercises. Anybody who works in palliative care could benefit from reading this book, from the novice to the experienced, as the use of the techniques demonstrated in this book will enhance whatever your role is in palliative care.

END-OF-LIFE CARE: BRIDGING DISABILITY AND AGEING WITH PERSON-CENTERED CARE  

William Gaventa and David Coulter (Eds)
Haworth Press, 2005
122pp
ISBN 0-7890-3073-X
RRP $US19.95

** Also published as the Journal of Religion, Disability and Health 2005; 9: 2.

End-of-life decision making for a person with intellectual disability, be it developmental or acquired (such as Alzheimer’s), can be doubly difficult. Here a series of very thoughtful essays and critiques that address the issues involved, written by experts from a variety of perspectives.

SHELTERING THOUGHTS About Loss and Grief  

Sharon Gilchrest O’Neil
Tate Publishing, 2005
147 pp
ISBN 1-9332904-3-9
RRP $US 10.05

This little pocket-sized book combines the wisdom of the author’s considerable experience with carefully selected poetry and proverbs and would be both useful and a comfort to many who grieve.

Roger Woodruff,
Director of Palliative Care, Austin Health,
Melbourne, Australia

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www.hospicecare.com/bookshop/