In the hospice model of home care, a dying person stays at home with family or friends and is looked after by a team put together by a visiting nurse or home health agency. Merrill Collett, who served for two years as a volunteer with the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, has written a helpful work that doubles as a practical manual and a spiritual guide. It combines "the most current techniques of hospice care with Eastern wisdom teachings in a step-by-step explanation of how to care for the terminally ill in a way that transforms the caregiver."
The book is divided into three sections: "Beginner's Mind" on spiritual care and meditation; "Caregiver's Mind" with detailed descriptions of essential bedside tasks, and "Inquiring Mind" with reflections on death's lessons for the living. Collett believes that listening, learning, and loving are essential ingredients of the craft of patient care. The dying person takes the lead in everything. Caregiving is about being present or graceful accompaniment. All in all, this is a serene and compassionate guide to a very difficult and complex subject.
