Loving Choices, Peaceful Passing: Why My Family Chose Hospice

There is no guidebook on when, and how, to stop treatment of a terminal illness. Offered here is an intimate account of how the myriad end-of-life decisions affect a family. Bob Vallee had the courage to accept his impending death and lived out his final days at home in his daughter's care. He passed peacefully, in his sleep, twenty-nine days after entering hospice. The book is written from a family member's point of view. The Vallees were Midwestern stoics; not prone to overt displays of affection. As they walked together into Bob's last days, communication became deeper. Stein describes arguing with her mother but also feeling closer to her than either of them had ever imagined. It was Bob's physician who helped the family through the excruciatingly difficult discussion about his chances for survival, and gently guided them to hospice.

Stein struggled with role reversal, not wanting to upset her parents' fifty-six-year power structure. With much trepidation‚ she went behind their backs to ensure Bob would receive the care he needed‚ and was flabbergasted the next day when they thanked her. Read this book to consider choices you may make for yourself or the ones you love.

Kathleen Vallee Stein is a Los Angeles based author whose opinion pieces have appeared in newspapers and magazines since 1995. They include: the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, the Pasadena Star News, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Jewish Journal.

Stein's next book is What Were We Thinking? Parents Confess their Biggest Mistakes So You Can Avoid Them, a funny and honest heads-up on potential parenting pitfalls, from those who have been there.

 

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