Saying Goodbye To Someone You Love is a compilation of true-life stories
about how others have faced end of life and grief. Hundreds of poignant, touching, loving, humorous personal experiences
address readers' concerns and curiosity about how others have faced life's final chapter with love and dignity.
The
narratives complemented interspersed with
practical suggestions. Those caring for a loved one through the last stages of life will find suggestions on how to
follow their hearts and their instincts in an endeavor to say a meaningful goodbye. For those who are grieving, the
true-to-life-stories demonstrate how others have navigated the tidal wave of emotions and reactions that characterize the
grief process. For health care professionals and those who are offering support to others, Saying Goodbye To
Someone You Love provides a new perspective on the challenges of caring for the dying and living with grief. Specific topics include talking about death, hospice, funerals,
grieving, and celebrating life.
Saying
Goodbye To Someone You Love empowers readers by:
- Bringing compassion
and awareness to end of life issues
- Providing examples of loving care at
the moment of death
- Illuminating uncharted territory
- Demonstrating how others cope
- Demystifying
the grief process
- Inspiring
hope
Contents
Introduction;
1. The Elephant in the Room; 2. The Conversation; 3. The "H" Word...What is Hospice?; 4. Caregiver Challenges; 5.
Celebrating Life; 6. Preparing to Say Goodbye; 7. Final Moments; 8. Funerals; 9. Memorials; 10. Grieving; 11. What About the
Children?; 12. Supporting Those Who Grieve; 13. Creating a New Life; Epilogue; Resources
About
the Authors
Norine Dresser
is a folklorist and writer. She is the author of Multicultural Manners: New Rules of Etiquette
for a Changing Society; Come as You Aren't: Feeling at Home with Multicultural
Celebrations and also wrote the eight-year award-winning Los Angeles Times column, "Multicultural Manners."
She has a BA in anthropology and an MA in folklore / mythology, both from UCLA. She taught for twenty years at California
State University Los Angeles, lectures frequently, and has worked with a variety of government agencies and associations including
the New York State Department of Health, Food Stamp and Nutrition Workers; Methodist Hospital of Southern California; Children's
Hospital of Los Angeles; and the American Dietetic Association. She is an internationally recognized expert on cultural traditions
and rituals from around the world.
Fredda
Wasserman, MA, MPH, LMFT, CT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,
Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement. She is a Clinical Director of Adult Programs and Education at
OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center, the leading non-profit grief center in California.
She received her Masters degree in Health Education & Health Administration from the UCLA School of Public Health and
her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Fredda presents workshops and seminars on end of life
and grief for therapists, clergy, educators, and medical professionals at locations throughout the country including the David
Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Recognized as an expert in guided imagery, Fredda
has created a series of guided meditation CDs for relaxation and stress management and maintains a private psychotherapy practice
in Los Angeles.
