Hospice care:

• Online
• Organizations
• Print

Support for you:

• Online Organization
• Print

Support for family and friends:

• Online
• Organizations
• Print

Hospice Hands
http://hospice-cares.com/hlinks.html
Online links.

Hospice Web
http://www.teleport.com/~hospice/links.htm
Online links.

Foundation for Hospice and Home Care
519 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 547-7424
Information and referrals.

HOSPICELINK
Hospice Education Institute Suite 3-B
Post Office Box 7135
Essex Square
Essex, CT 06426-0713
(800) 331-1620 or
(203) 767-1620 in Alaska and Connecticut
HOSPICELINK maintains a computerized and continually updated directory of hospice programs in the United States, and operates a toll-free telephone number to refer callers to local hospice and palliative care programs. HOSPICELINK also provides general information about the principles and practice of hospice care. Staff members will listen sympathetically and give limited, informal support to callers who wish to discuss immediate personal problems relating to terminal illness and bereavement. (HOSPICELINK does not offer medical advice or provide psychological counseling.) There is no charge for any HOSPICELINK service.

National Hospice Organization
1901 North Moore Street, Suite 901
Arlington, VA 22209
(800) 658-8898.
World Wide Web: http://nho.org/
Information, free publications and referrals regarding hospice care.

Caring for the Patient with Cancer at Home: A Guide for Patients and Families. A guidebook that provides detailed, helpful information on how to care for the patient at home. American Cancer Society: (800) ACS-2345.

The Handbook of Hospice Care, by Robert W. Buckingham. Prometheus Books, 1996. An introduction and explanation of hospice, and how it can help.

Home Care Guide for Advanced Cancer. Published by the American College of Physicians. "For family, friends, and hospice workers caring for persons with advanced cancer at home, when quality of life is the primary goal." Contact the ACP Customer Service at (800)523-1546, extension 2600, or write to: American College of Physicians, Customer Service Center, Independence Mall West, Sixth Street and Race, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572.

Support for you

How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter, by Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994. A Yale professor demystifies the dying process in this beautifully written, insightful book on the way different diseases lead to death. Touches on end-of-life decision-making and other issues connected with preserving the human side of dying.

On Death and Dying, by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. New York: Macmillan, 1969. A classic in this field. Kubler-Ross discusses attitudes toward death, emotional stages of dying (anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, hope), family reactions and therapy.

Three books by Stephen Levine, a meditation teacher and counselor of the terminally ill:
Who Dies? Garden City: Anchor Press, 1982.
Meetings at the Edge: Dialogues with the Grieving and Dying, Anchor Press, 1984.
Healing into Life and Death, Garden City: Doubleday,1987.
Levine's focus is on learning to live fully in the moment. Excellent resources on the process and practice of mindfulness meditation, these inspirational books also include sections on relaxation and guided imagery.

Support for family and friends

GriefNet
http://www.rivendell.org/
A collection of resources of value to those who are experiencing loss and grief.

Grief Recovery Institute
8306 Wilshire Blvd., #21A
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(800) 334-7606
(213) 650-1234
Organization that sponsors workshops, supports people who are grieving, and provides publications on recovery.

Grief Recovery Helpline
(800) 445-4808
Free service staffed by trained personnel to help anyone who is grieving.

Grieving: How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies, by Therese Rando, Ph.D. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1988. Written by a grief counselor, this is a comprehensive and compassionate book.

Books to help children deal with a parent's death:

Charlottes Web, by E. B. White. New York: Harper, 1952. The classic tale of friendship and death as a part of life.

Helping Children Cope with Separation and Loss, by Claudia Jewett-Jarratt. Revised edition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Common Press, 1994. Written by a child and family therapist, this book covers many kinds of loss, and describes simple techniques that adults can use to help children through grief.

Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children, by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen. New York: Bantam Books, 1983. Paintings and simple text explain that dying is as much a part of life as being born.

Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love, by Earl Grollman. Boston: Beacon Press, 1993. Wonderful book that talks to teens, not at them. Discusses denial, pain, anger, sadness, physical symptoms, and depression, and offers techniques for working through feelings.

Talking About Death: A Dialogue Between Parent and Child, by Earl Grollman. Boston: Beacon Press, 1990. An excellent book for helping children cope with grief. In comforting language, it teaches parents how to explain death, understand how children feel and know when to seek professional help.