Author : Kim Gladstone,Laurie Wolf
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 132 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2020-05-15
Category : Family & Relationships
ISBN : 1734321601
PACE Toward Peace: What Everyone Should Know About End-of-Life Care by Kim Gladstone,Laurie Wolf Pdf
We are living longer. Public health advances, improved technology, and medicine have evolved to lengthen our lifespans. Life expectancy in the U.S. is nearing 80 years old! This means most of us will not die suddenly as in the past. Instead, we'll likely die from a chronic disease we've been living with for months, years or decades. When we recognized that for most of us, a gradual death is what we can expect, we gain the opportunity to take control, or at least gain an understanding of what is likely to occur and how we can deal with it. We prepare extensively for the birth of our children. A nine-month pregnancy gives us time to read up on what to expect, to buy things, and rearrange our living space. The months of expectation also gives us time to adapt to the physical and emotional changes that are occurring. Why wouldn't we prepare for our own and our loved one's death in a similar way? This book covers facts and plans to overcome our hesitance and fear of thinking about what a gradual death might look like. It provides the reader with a template for the common phases of a gradual death and information about what will likely occur. It's for people who aren't medically trained but are curious about how to approach what naturally happens at the end of a life. PACE is a model that differentiates four phases people go through when dying gradually. P = PARTNERING: This phase is similar to many partnerships, where two people work equally but with different specialties, sharing in most decisions and work. A = ASSISTING: This phase is when the dying person allows or asks the caregiver to make decisions and needs assistance with daily activities. C = CARING: This phase is when the caregiver makes all decisions and is responsible for all daily activities. E = ENDING: In this phase, as the dying person disengages with this world, the caregiver remains in the decision-making role and is responsible for all decisions and work. Checklists and tips are provided for each phase to help with planning and expectations. There is something for everyone (the dying person, their caregiver and their family) in each phase of this informative book. The process of dying doesn't have to be isolating and scary, if we understand there is A PACE Toward Peace.
