Crossing Over: Narratives of Palliative Care 2000

This book is a unique look at patients, families and their carers as they strive together to provide comfort and hope in the face of terminal illness. Narratives weave together the emotions, physical symptoms, spiritual issues and stresses of family life, as well as the professional and personal challenges of hospice and palliative care. Drawing on an enormous amount of participant observation and in-depth interviews, this book goes far beyond dry technical instruction to depict the sights, sounds, tastes and smells that accompany patients in patients' homes and on the palliative care unit. It shows the breathtaking variety of aspirations and ideals of people facing death, as well as the views of the professionals caring for them.