Authorpreneur Dashboard – Ann Richardson
Life in a Hospice: Reflections on Caring for the Dying
Biographies & Memoirs
None of us likes to think about what our last days will be like. But if we do think about them at all, we want them to be full of peace and tranquillity, with the chance to say proper goodbyes to those we love. Life in a Hospice takes readers behind the scenes of end-of-life care, to see the very great efforts of nurses and others to provide the calm that we all hope for. This might sound like a depressing book, but on the contrary, readers have found it to be inspiring and uplifting. ‘An easy-to-read book, which will surprise many readers with its lightness of touch, humanity and refreshing tone. I would recommend it to anyone who has worries about their own or a relative’s care at the end of life.’ Dr Nansi-Wynne Evans, GP ‘The simple reflections on complex areas of care resonate long after you have finished reading the book.’ Cancer Nursing Forum Newsletter Royal College of Nursing
Book Bubbles from Life in a Hospice: Reflections on Caring for the Dying
How people cope with difficult jobs
People who work in end-of-life care need all sorts of strategies to cope with their work. Most find some way to leave their worries at work. This nurse describes how her husband would respond if she told him honestly about her day:
Peace at the end of life
Hospices are about peace, calm and comfort. This is expressed by many staff, but perhaps this healthcare assistant is particularly articulate about the nature of her work:
The nature of palliative care
People often ask what palliative care is. It is about caring for the person and responding to his or her individual needs. Here, a doctor compares the work to that of a surgeon, who may have a quick solution ('cut it off') but spends less time on how the patient feels:
The importance of food for the very ill
One doesn't normally think about what food is provided in a hospice. But a hospice chef talks about the importance of making it special. One more example of the care and attention given to hospice patients.
Getting it right the first and only time
Hospice staff are only too aware that they need to give their all to the job. And they need to do it right, first time, especially when someone is actually dying. This is often compared to the other end of life, being born, as explained by this nurse:
Dying under a tree
Hospices do absolutely everything they can to meet the requests of patients. This may be to see their pet or to eat a particular food or to have certain music when they are dying. This is a particularly memorable example, recounted by one nurse:
Life in a Hospice
I called my book Life in a Hospice, because hospices are full of life. This quotation illustrates this well:
The privilege of working in a hospice
Over and over, when you talk to hospice staff, they say it is a privilege to work there and to be part of people's lives in their last days. These are the word of one worker, expressing this thought:
There are funny moments even in a hospice
You might think that people who work in a hospice are always faced with tragedy. And in some sense this is true. But there can be some funny moments. Here is the story of one man who was concerned for his dead mother, as told by the manager responsible for helping patients after a death
Wise Before Their Time
Biographies & Memoirs
‘This collection of true stories is as powerful as any great classic of fiction’ Sir Ian McKellen They are young and they have a life-threatening disease… The year is 1991. Diagnoses of HIV are rising and there is no cure in sight. Coming from all corners of the world, over forty young men and women talk about living with HIV and AIDS. They must cope with the enormous stigma, blame and guilt associated with the disease. And there are challenges in telling their parents and partners, trying to stay healthy and keeping themselves in work – all while facing an inevitably shortened future. Yet they remain committed to celebrating the joys of life as much as they can. This book is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. First published in 1992, this book tells their unique stories in their own words.
Book Bubbles from Wise Before Their Time
Time is of the essence
When you are feeling pressed for time because of so many little things to do, spare a thought for those who have very little time left to live. In Wise Before their Time, over forty young men and women talk honestly and powerfully about what it is like.
Living a day at a time
Are you living with a life-threatening illness? Or do you know someone who is? This book sounds like it should be depressing, but it is very inspiring because people with a life threatening illness take a very positive attitude to life. As one reader said, "it is a testament to human resilience". Here is one quote, among many:
Family love
In this book about people with AIDS twenty-five years ago, there are many wonderful examples of love being expressed. In this quotation, a young mother had struggled to find the right time to tell her parents that she was HIV positive – and was met with a very loving response. This woman did eventually die of the disease, as did her youngest child.
Living with stigma
This is a book about people living with HIV/AIDS back when there was little treatment - and a great deal of stigma. Yet the people talking are just ordinary men and women, often very young. This woman contracted AIDS from her bisexual husband. She gives a good sense of the terror in a diagnosis.
Telling bad news
This is a book about what it was like to live with HIV and AIDS back when it was a life threatening disease. It was, of course, very difficult to tell the people you loved, but often made relationships much stronger.
People with AIDS can laugh at their situation
People tend to think that everything to do with HIV or AIDS is dreadfully serious. Of course, in many ways, it is. It was especially serious at the time this book was originally written, as there was very little treatment. A diagnosis was likely to be seen as a notice that you did not have long to live. Yet one man was able to tell of his diagnosis with great humour.
THE GRANNY WHO STANDS ON HER HEAD
Biographies & Memoirs
Book Bubbles from THE GRANNY WHO STANDS ON HER HEAD
Are you old?
Older people nowadays are reluctant to identify themselves "old". Indeed, they generally refer to their situation as being "older". This book explores the reluctance to accept the obvious nomenclature. And it explains why I am not only happy to call myself "old" but also very content to be "old"
Singing
The Granny Who Stands on her Head is a book about why I like growing older. I argue that while many of the annoying aspects of life remain so, so too do the many joys of life remain with you. (I also argue that there are many new joys of being older.) The activities you really enjoy may not be the same as mine, but I can only talk about my own. Here, I am writing about the enormous pleasure I gain from singing in a choir.
A celebration of growing older
There are numerous books for people in their 40s and 50s about how to keep yourself young. They imply that growing old is something to be avoided. Even though you can't. But a few years ago, I came to the conclusion that I liked being old. And I wrote a whole book to explain why.
The pleasures of yoga
People tend to associate yoga with young women, who look lovely in their leotards and can do all the poses well. But older people can also enjoy yoga. I know I do. And here is a link to a two minute video showing me doing a headstand at the age of 80: https://annrichardson.co.uk/the-granny-who-stands-on-her-head/ Go on, see if it makes you smiile.
Wheels falling off
I have written a book about why I like being old, but I also address some aspects of old age that I don't like. One of these is the many ways in which our bodies start to crumble, or 'the wheels begin to fall off'. My then five year old son put this as clearly as anyone since.
Growing older
I used to think that when you became older, you also became very different. The Granny Who Stands on Her Head is a book about why I like being an older woman. I argue that there are many new joys - deepening relationships, feeling much more comfortable in your own skin and, sometimes grandchildren, which compensate for some of the new aches and pains of growing older. But I also argue that old age is not a foreign country and there is so much that is familiar. This makes coping with old age so much easier than I ever imagined.
Meryl Streep and Me
Years ago, when in my early 30s, I was given the opportunity to work as an 'extra' on the film Julia, with Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave and Meryl Streep. It was an interesting experience, but I made a hugely wrong judgement call on Meryl Streep:
