Research & Education

Books

There are many excellent books that cover a wide range of topics related to dying, death and bereavement. Check with your local library or book store.


AIDS Care
AIDS: Answers to Questions Kids Ask
Informative questions and answer format.
Multiple AIDS-Related Loss
Discusses the losses associated with AIDS and ways to heal.

Caregivers
Caregiving
Ways to improve quality of care for those who are dying.
Final Choices
Examines tough choices regarding medical care, home care and hospice.
Final Gifts
In this moving and compassionate book, hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years experience tending the terminally ill.
Grief, Dying and Death
Clinical Interventions for caregivers.
How Can I Help?
A Zen perspective on caregiving.
The Courage To Laugh
Inspirational look at humour, hope and healing in the face of death.

Children & Grief : Fiction
A Taste of Blackberries
Describes a boy’s friendship with Jamie and his feels when she dies.
Aunt Mary Buttons
An aunt prepares her niece for the aunt’s impending death.
Larry Red and Blue
A young friend is killed by a car; describes a 7 year old’s reactions.
Lifetimes
A simple story of beginnings, endings and lifetimes of plants, animals and people.
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs
A young boy’s special relationships with his two grandmothers and his feelings when they die.
So Long Grandpa
Michael witnesses his grandfather’s deterioration and death from cancer.
The Garden is Doing Fine
Corrie’s father is dying. His interest in his garden leads to the realization that life continues in his children.
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
When his cat dies, a young boy tries to remember ten good things about him.
Tunnel Vision
Reactions of family, friends and teacher when a 15 year old boy hangs himself.
Where’s Jess
Addresses some of the questions a young child may ask when a sibling dies.

Children & Grief : NonFiction
Helping Children Cope with Loss of a Loved One
Use of narrative and case studies to explain children’s understanding of reactions to death.
Hospice Care for Children
Professional resource book for pediatric hospice care.
How it Feels When a Parent dies
Children (aged 7 – 16) describe their feelings when a parent died.
Learning to Say Goodbye
Addresses the questions and feelings a child has when a parent is sick and dies.
Too Old to Cry, Too Young to Die
Teens describe their experiences living with cancer, side effects, family, friends etc.

Cross Cultural Caring
Caring for Dying People of Different Faiths
Considers the history and beliefs of several faiths, yet emphasizing the individual’s needs.
Conscious Dying
Study of spiritual beliefs/practices related to conscious dying and the transition to the afterlife.

Grief & Loss
A Grief Observed
A personal tale of grieving his wife’s death.
In the Midst of Winter
Selections of poetry and prose about grief.
Parental Loss of a Child
Clinical study and research of this topic.
Sibling Loss
Sibling bereavement and its differences.
So I Will Comfort You
Support for bereaved patients and others.

Living with Grief
After Suicide
A guide for dealing with the aftermath of suicide.
Living with Grief after Sudden Loss
A series of articles and resource materials written by experts on this area of grief.
Living with Grief When Illness is Prolonged
A series of articles and resource materials written by experts on this area of grief.

Palliative Care References
Cross-Cultural caring
A Handbook for Health Care Professionals in Western Canada.
Dying Well
How families find reconciliation when death approaches.
New Themes in Palliative Care
Essays on key themes in palliative care, intended for professionals.
The Last Dance
A textbook for death and dying courses that gives good introduction to the main issues.

Spiritual/Pastoral
Dying, Yet We Live
Considers definitions of spirituality and issues commonly raised.
How We Die
Reflection’s on Life’s Final Chapter.
Kitchen Table Wisdom
Inspirational book on dealing with serious and chronic illness.
The Grace in Dying
How We Are Transformed Spiritually As We Die.

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Books | BC Hospice Palliative Care Association Books | BC Hospice Palliative Care Association