The good death : a guide for supporting your loved one through the end of life Cover Image

Book

The good death : a guide for supporting your loved one through the end of life / Suzanne B O'Brien.

Summary:

"Practical wisdom and holistic planning to ease life's most difficult transition, from an acclaimed hospice nurse, death doula, and end-of-life educator. Many of us will show up for someone we love at the end of their life. Learning how to do that well changes everything. With over twenty years of experience as a hospice nurse and palliative care professional, founder of the Doulagivers Institute Suzanne B. O'Brien, RN, has trained more than 350,000 people to help those who are dying, their caregivers, and other loved ones move through each end-of-life stage with comfort and ease. In The Good Death, O'Brien empowers you to make this experience beautiful, sacred, and profound for everyone involved. With practical advice, emotional support, and expert insights, she gently holds your hand through every aspect, including: --support strategies to avoid burnout as a caregiver; --care instructions to ensure your loved one's comfort; and --details on how the fear of death makes the end of life harder, and how we can quell that fear. The second half of the book is a Peace of Mind Planner to help prepare for a good death. This workbook features prompts for important conversations with your loved one about their physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual preferences, and includes space to record this important information. This allows you to be fully present in their last precious moments and to come away with a thorough plan for their end-of-life wishes. The Good Death is a comprehensive, compassionate, in-depth resource -- and it provides a beacon of hope and support." -- Provided by dustjacket.

Record details

ISBN: 9780316574860
Physical Description: viii, 263 pages ; 24 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2025.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-252) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction -- PART 1, FACILITATING A GOOD DEATH -- We Become Less Fearful of the Unknown When We Embrace What Is Known -- Preparing for Longer Lifespans: The Elder Care Crisis -- How to Care for Someone Who Is Dying: The Three Phases of End of Life -- Dealing with Common Diseases at End of Life -- How Caregivers Can Avoid Burnout -- The Rebirth of Death -- Keeping Death Green: How Our Funeral and Burial Choices Impact the Planet -- PART 2, THE PEACE OF MIND PLANNER -- A Physical Good Death -- A Mental Good Death -- An Emotional Good Death -- A Financial Good Death -- A Spiritual Good Death -- Epilogue: Death as a Sacred Experience -- Acknowledgments -- Glossary -- Appendix A: Prolonged Grief Disorder -- Appendix B: What to Say to Someone Who's Grieving -- Appendix C: Your Loving Reminder Checklist to Heal from Grief -- Appendix D: How to Talk to Kids About Death -- Resources -- Notes -- Index.