Thursday, July 26, 2012

"Peaceful Passage" by Kim West, Ph D.: A Review







I just finished the book Peaceful Passage, a moving exemplar of how wonderful an at-home, end-of-life journey can be.  Kim wrote this book after her own personal end-of-life journey with her mother, who was diagnosed with both brain and pancreatic cancer at the age of 78.

This book really took me by surprise.  It is very direct, straight-forward, and has innumerable tips, suggestions, directions, and guides for how to deal with the end of a loved one’s life.  I wanted to review this book because I have a chronic illness, and I was very interested in the kind of advice a “healthy” person would give.

I found the first two chapters incredibly informative for me personally.   I took notes, made comments about what I’M going to do right now, like establish medical power of attorney, legal power of attorney, make a will and name an executor of the will…. It was astounding how practical and logical Ms. West lays out exactly what is needed.  It's a wonderful "how-to" for things that you may never think of when "the time" comes.

The author also talks about the importance of following your loved ones' wishes about their end-of-life experience.  Some of this book was difficult for me because I want exactly the opposite of what Kim's mom wanted.  She wanted to die at home, and I want to be in a hospital, or hospice, with no pain, even if that means being completely out of it.

There was one thing about this book that I had an even more difficult time with.  There were several typos in the book, especially in the first 39 pages, and as a "grammar freak," it was extremely bothersome.  Having said that, I am so glad I continued on with this book.  The amount of information for someone who wants to die at home is amazing, from the big, important decisions, to the little tips like layering the bed with more than one sheet, in case there's an accident in the middle of the night.  I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wishes to have this particular end-of-life journey with their loved one, or their own journey.

If you would like to purchase Peaceful Passage, it is available on Amazon.com, or you can go to http://www.peaceful-passage.com/order.html for the best price.

You can check out Kim West on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacefulpassage,
or her own website at http://www.peaceful-passage.com/ 

About the Author:
"Kim West holds a PhD in Clinical Pastoral Counseling an dan M.Div. in Counseling and Family.  Peaceful Passage represents a merging of her years of life and counseling experience with new skills acquired as the primary caregiver during her mother's final journey." -from the back cover









 I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

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