“This work – so substantial, explicit and totally applicable – will be a significant contribution to those who care for the dying and their survivors for many years to come” was the reaction of John A. Hackle, President of the Hillhaven Foundation, when this volume first appeared. His prediction was validated when the edition received the Better Life Award of the American Health Care Association and most importantly, by reaction of health care professionals and caregivers, when the edition became a best seller.

The new edition retains the theme of addressing the complex subject of the coping demands on health professionals and caregivers involved in the care of dying patients and their families. The original paradigm of the coping stages during the first 24 months, which every health professional and caregiver must confront, remains as relevant today as when first proposed. The author, in this edition, has revised the volume to address an additional topic which she has been addressing for several years now in her presentations, Stage VI of the process.

When the original volume was reviewed in Social Work in Health Care the reaction was “...this volume is not only valuable for the practitioner, but all those involved in the education process, because it pertains directly to preparing professionals for work in this area. Thus, the author has transformed the process of working with death into a life model.” The new edition retains its original value, as well as provides a resource as health care professionals move into the 21 st century.