Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life

I always smiled and waved back. One day I decided to try to talk to them and they were so sweet. When I was in 9th grade I noticed that Mrs. Johnson wasn't sitting outside any more and saw a woman I didn't know going in and out of her house. I brought my concerns to my mother and she told me that Mrs.

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Johnson was very sick and wasn't going to get better. I started going to her house every single day after school to visit. It turned out the woman I saw going in and out of the house was Mrs. Johnson's sister and she moved in to take care of her sister. They both seemed so happy to see me and I them. Eric made me realize that I was helping them through their loneliness.

I am 99 percent sure that I was their only visitor. Johnson died, I was so sad. Her sister sold the house and moved back to where she had been living and I never saw her again but I still think of them often. I want to thank Eric for the gift of friend ship he has given people over the years and his gift to me. Hospice don't have enough workers or volunteer workers.

If you are a individual who can look at it as a positive thing, consider becoming a volunteer. I am willing to bet that you will receive as much as you give. It is clear that Eric has. I highly recommend Hospice Voices! Jan 12, Stacie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Eric Lindner is looking for a way to give back and decides in , to become a Hospice volunteer. The book begins with the story of Lindner's first patient, Bob Zimmerman. He was fortunate to have his first patient be someone he was truly able to share some memories with.

Throughout the book he then shares about other patients who made an impact on his Eric Lindner is looking for a way to give back and decides in , to become a Hospice volunteer. Throughout the book he then shares about other patients who made an impact on his life and what they taught him about living and about dying.

As a previous Hospice social worker and then volunteer, I was drawn to this book. Aside from being a mom, working in Hospice was my favorite job. People always assumed it was depressing and couldn't understand how I could do my job. What I found was I couldn't wait to go to work every day.

Sure, not all the patients were people that I made a connection with, much like the author, but everyone had a story to tell.

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Lindner finds a way to tell their stories that help the reader imagine the people both in their younger days as well as presently. He shares their secrets with dignity and you can tell he was truly listening and cared about the patients and their families. I loved that with each patient he found a way to make a connection either through food, through a hobby, or through his talents. I also appreciated his honesty regarding being nervous about meeting a new patient. It isn't easy to go into people's homes and feel like you are intruding on their "last days". It truly is a privilege, as a volunteer, to be able to share in that final journey with the patient and their family.

There is a a lot to learn from pages in this book, especially from his humbling Dos and Don'ts chapter at the end. As you read the stories you will see pain, sadness and the ever-looming terminal diagnosis, but you will also be rewarded with laughter, gratitude and surprisingly, hope.

Dec 31, Teena in Toronto rated it liked it. Eric is doing well financially and has a wife and kids. He felt the need to give back and was lucky enough to be able to become a hospice volunteer. Hospice volunteers spend time with these people hoping to make their last days happier and more comfortable. During his training, Eric learned that the average hospice patient survives three months And Eric doesn't just give comfort to them but also to their families. In fact, he keeps in touch with some of the families after his patients have passed on.

I was expecting it to be depressing but it wasn't. Yes, there is a lot of death but it's not dealt on The focus instead is on learning the stories of Eric patients and the joy they receive in Eric's company as their days starting winding down. It sounds like it takes a fair bit of time and dedication to be a hospice volunteer.

I guess it depends on how many patients you have and the level of commitment you give them. Eric was taking them on errands, bringing them cookies and cakes, calling when he was out of town, sending postcards, etc. While I think volunteering would be an awesome thing to do, I don't think I could handle it emotionally I would recommend this book. All book profits will be donated to organizations committed to improving the lives of hospice patients and their families. Dec 19, Anastacia rated it really liked it Shelves: Eric Lindner's book is about a few different hospice patients he worked with at the end of their lives.

The people he meets up with are all memorable in their different ways. Eric briefly starts his book with his training, and often refers back to it when he is faced with any dilemmas and sometimes ignores his training, as in the case when he gives a woman her meds when he knows he shouldn't have, something I think I would have done in the same situation. In between his stories of his patients, Eric Lindner's book is about a few different hospice patients he worked with at the end of their lives.

In between his stories of his patients, Eric also talks about his own family and his travels overseas, especially his aging parents. While I understood talking about his parents in the book, I did not like that Lindner did so. I wasn't reading a book about Lindner's life, I was reading a book about Lindner's dying hospice patients.

Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life by Eric Lindner

The author often seemed to be bragging about how good his life was, about how they have so much money that they can afford to donate a lot of money to charity the bragging really turned me off, becausehe was comparing how good his life is to someone who was dying I honestly don't think he meant it that way, that was just how I felt.

To clarify, I think it's wonderful the author's family does give so much back to their community, I just didn't feel it was appropriate talking about it in the course of the book. Surprisingly, the book isn't sad at all.

I wanted to read this book because I worked in nursing homes for a few years and saw the good in hospice Mar 02, Jenn rated it really liked it Shelves: I was a little hesitant when I first opened this book. I recently lost my mother and I'm very sensitive to issues surrounding death and dying. I kept a box of tissues handy while I was reading and I'm glad I did. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew many of the people Eric worked with. I knew that they were likely to die it was a book on Hospice care and end of life issues but I hoped that they wouldn't.

The book was sensitively written, and the focus was not on death but on the lives of I was a little hesitant when I first opened this book. At times the book gets bogged down in details that are neither relevant nor engaging. Some of his anecdotes are less than spellbinding.

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But these deficiencies do not lessen the impact of the book or its message. The last emotion that hundreds of thousands of terminally ill Americans experience is loneliness. Get out there and help fill that void; you will benefit from it as well. Dave Sterrett is the health care counsel for Public Citizen, where he works to protect consumers from unsafe drugs and devices, preserve Medicare, and provide universal health care coverage.

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Hospice Voices is a truly beautiful work of love, written in heartfelt and genuine prose that clearly demonstrates Lindner's love and respect for his clients, as well as his clear-eyed views on mortality and illness, not to mention his own internal process during the course of his volunteering. Rather than the words of a professional, Lindner's book is a love song written by a layperson; a love song infused with understanding, pathos, authenticity and raw honesty.

Sharing deeply about his family, his own life, as well as his young daughter's experience of being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, the author's personality shines brilliantly through his flowing, simple yet moving prose. I highly recommend Hospice Voices for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved, expects to experience the death of a loved one, or who thinks that they themselves may die one day. Does that seem like I'm recommending it to everyone? I most certainly am. Digital Doorway This book simultaneously opened my heart and broke it as each story taught me how hope and dignity can exist even in terminal situations.

Over my career I've seen my share of sadness due to the ravages of end-stage cardiovascular disease. But I've also seen terminal patients and their loved ones wring out great joy and meaning in the final months of life. This book is joyful, insightful, witty, and truly meaningful. It tugged at my heart, tickled my funny bone, and served up numerous insights and tips that had escaped me when trying to advise patients and their families.

What a marvelous set of stories that should be read by all adults. It inspires us to live life to the fullest and respect and learn from the past in order to better deal with future uncertainty. Trained volunteers, like Eric Lindner, play such an immensely important role in providing that companionship to the patient. His book reminds all of us that we are invited to attend to others — not to change them, not to judge them, not to fix them. We are there simply to listen and to be witnesses to the suffering and joy of others in their living and in their dying.

Presence to others, as Lindner describes so poignantly in his book, is a transformative sacred act for the patient and for the companion. His book moved me because it's an illustration that there are many ways we can provide love and justice in this world. We think of love in our daily affections for those close to us.

We think of justice in the work of social movements. But all religions teach that at the heart of justice is love, hospitality, and kindness to strangers. It is hard to imagine a better example of exactly that than this book, and in reading it, one comes away knowing that as in sacred scripture, Lindner has encountered and served angels themselves.

Beyond Geopolitical and Disciplinary Boundaries Eric Lindner gives voice to those in their final days so that we may better listen, love, and learn from their example. A must read for any caregiver - volunteer or family.

I was deeply moved by the extraordinary people I met in the book. Eric Lindner is an attorney and entrepreneur. A hospice volunteer since , he lives outside Warrenton, VA. Would you like to tell us about a lower price? If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? As a part-time hospice volunteer, Eric Lindner provides companion care to dying strangers. Some cling to life amazingly. Most pass as they expected. In telling his story, Lindner reveals the thoughts, fears, and lessons of those living the ends of their lives in the care of others, having exhausted their medical options or ceased treatment for their illnesses.

In each chapter, Lindner not only reveals the lessons of lives explored in their final days, but zeroes in on how working for hospice can be incredibly fulfilling. They impart what they feel are life lessons as they reflect on their own lives and the prospect of their last days. Lindner captures it all in his lively storytelling. And those who may feel compelled to volunteer to serve as companions will find motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. Rather than sink under the weight of depression, pity, or sorrow, Lindner celebrates the lives of those who choose to live even as they die.

Read more Read less. What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Here's how restrictions apply. Review In this endearing and personal book, Attorney and entrepreneur Lindner details his experiences volunteering in hospice with colorful storytelling, practical advice, and encouragement for those coming to terms with the end of life. Start reading Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life on your Kindle in under a minute.

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