Living Well with a Serious Illness: A Guide to Palliative Care for Mind, Body, and Spirit

by Robin Bennett Kanarek

A practical guide for understanding how palliative care can improve quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Robin Bennett Kanarek was a registered nurse working with patients suffering from chronic medical conditions when her ten-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia. As her son endured grueling treatments, Robin realized how often medical professionals overlook critical psychological, emotional, and spiritual support for people with life-threatening illnesses. Living Well with a Serious Illness is the culmination of decades of Robin's work to advance the field of palliative care. Although palliative care is often associated with hospice and end-of-life planning, Kanarek argues for a more expanded definition that incorporates palliative care earlier in patients' journeys. Living Well with a Serious Illness helps patients and their caregivers understand • what palliative care entails
• how to access the support they need when going through a serious illness
• what questions to ask medical professionals
• how to navigate advanced care planning
• definitions of common terminology used with end-of-life planning
• the importance of spiritual care, coping strategies, and emotional support
• how to become an advocate for palliative care This book illuminates the importance of seeing patients as individuals who can benefit from care for their body, mind, and spirit―the core tenet of palliative care.

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2023

Reviews

[Christina Oertel]

Good read.

This is a great book for anyone looking to understand palliative care. I was recently diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer so this was a useful book.

[Linda]

I finished this book in short order. Living Well with a Serious Illness is well-written and offers much food for thought.

The author shares action chapters for accessing the care someone will need with a serious illness and how to cope as a patient or family member.

At some point, we or someone we love will face a serious illness. The time to be armed with the information in this book is now, not at the time of diagnosis.

I highly recommend this book.

[Mary Ross]

This is a book for our times and for absolutely everyone. It is beautifully written and well researched from an expert in the field. We all know someone suffering with chronic, life-threatening illnesses. This book will help you navigate the path to a happier life with these burdens!