Recently Published!!
by Maryclaire Torinus
Surviving Hospice: A Chaplain's Journey into the Big Business of Dying Plus: How To Find a Trustworthy Hospice
This narrative is an insider’s look into the hijacking of hospice by private equity and professional investors and the subsequent harm to patients, their families, and to the interdisciplinary clinical teams. It was released by a NYC publisher on October 31, 2023. For sale on Amazon.
The author, a hospice chaplain, tells end-of-life stories of her patients who were harmed by financially-motivated policies. This is a book for anyone who is embarking on making a choice about a hospice for their loved one, working chaplains, those in training, and those interested in what dying is like with a hospice who places patients as their primary stakeholders.
Maryclaire's experience working for an owner who sold to a private equity firm helped her to realize that the reputation and viability of hospice is in jeopardy. Her goal is to alert all who love hospice to rid it of professional investors.
— Stacy Juba, author, editor, and award-winning health journalist
"Powerful, beautifully written, and eye-opening, this book spotlights the inner workings of a multi-billion-dollar industry and the effect on patients, families, and hospice staff. The author shares poignant accounts of hospice at its best and worst and the hard-hitting truths she learned on her journey. A must-read for family members exploring hospice care."
— Laura Kukowski, CEO, editor, For-Profit Badger Hospice, LLC
"Maryclaire Torinus speaks with authority, providing this essential handbook for choosing a hospice care team and why that selection really matters."
— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care
"When I first found out that Maryclaire Torinus was writing this book, I immediately contacted her because in my 25+ years supporting hospice volunteers, I have seen a gradual decline in the quality of care volunteers are permitted to provide the dying and their families. There are a variety of reasons for this that I describe in the Foreward of this book. Maryclaire provides invaluable insights that everyone should know, along with solutions to help others make the right choice in choosing a hospice."
Buy Now
Replies
Beautifully said! I have worked as a hospice chaplain for the past 4 years and was a nurse for 28 years before attending seminary. My experience in working with the dying echoes Kerry's. Thanks for a great article!
This is an excellent article, Greg. It reminds me of the difference between organized religion and spirituality. My own conversations with the dying mostly have been similar to what Kerry Egan described, sometimes with small sprinklings of religion that the patient initiated. Because Kerry is a chaplain, most people probably assume (as her professor did) that she should focus her conversations with dying patients more on religion.
The beauty of what Kerry is doing is in supporting and empowering patients in coming to terms with their personal closure needs. Of course, there are patients who want to combine the religious and spiritual. What's important is that conversation flows from the dying patient's closure needs and are not imposed on them by others who think they know a dying person's needs better than the patient does. Dying and all of its accompanying memories create a very personal journey.
More about Kerry Egan's book:
Fumbling: a pilgrimage tale of love, grief, and spiritual renewal on the Camino de Santiago
http://books.google.com/books/about/Fumbling.html?id=kDcqAAAAYAAJ