When Someone Dies

Caring for patients who have been diagnosed with terminal illness provides a challenge to all healthcare professionals, as confronting the possibility of death and discussing it openly and supportively with the patient and their family is not easy. To ensure death with dignity, patients need holistic care: practical, social, emotional as well as spiritual needs must be met. This new book by Hannah Cooke links all these areas to provide practical support and advice on areas such as choices of treatment (including the use of complementary therapies), pain control, counselling and religious beliefs. There is also a section on the care of the bereaved with a list of helpful organisations that can be contacted. 'When Someone Dies' will help nurses and other healthcare professionals implement a partnership of care that will ensure that their patients live until they die. * ·Readers are advised how best to support and communicate with patients and their families from diagnosis through to death and after * · Available choices of treatment are clearly set out so that these can be discussed with the patient to arrive at an informed plan of care * ·Advice on sensitive issues such as organ and sperm donation, living wills and non-resuscitation directives is offered, and the practical tasks that need to be carried out after death are explained