Bookshop: New material

If you buy from the Bookshop at St Christopher's, you are donating to our work.

The following books are available from the St Christopher's bookshop. For further information and details please contact the Librarian, Denise Brady, St Christopher's Hospice, tel 020 8768 4660.

Altilio T, Otis-Green S (eds)

Oxford textbook of palliative care social work

Oxford University Press 2011
£65

This edited book has an American bias but it is encouraging to see an edited textbook on a discipline other than medicine and nursing in the palliative care field. For a succinct social work text  with a UK focus,  read  Margaret Reith and Malcolm Payne’s book Social work in end-of-life and palliative care. Dr Payne is the adviser on policy at St Christopher’s Hospice. 

Dickman A

Drugs in palliative care

Oxford University Press 2010
£24.95

This pocket-sized handbook is divided into three sections – an overview of clinical pharmacology, prescribing guidance and a drug formulary of about 300 drugs used in palliative care. Margaret Gibbs, pharmacist at St Christopher’s, is a major contributor to the book.

Ellershaw J, Wilkinson S

Care of the dying. A pathway to excellence. 2^nd edition.

Oxford University Press 2010
£27.95

This book provides guidelines for the care of the dying based on the Liverpool Integrated Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP). It provides multi-professional guidelines to improve the care of patients in the last stages of their lives. A chapter on supporting children has been written by Barbara Monroe, Chief Executive at St Christopher’s.

Monroe B, Kraus F (eds)

Brief interventions with bereaved children. 2^nd edition.

Oxford University Press, 2010
£29.95

This volume reflects the great range of multidisciplinary interventions and outreach services available for bereaved children, mainly in the UK but also in other countries. As such it illustrates both a clinical and public health approach to helping bereaved children. It emphasises the importance of including family and children in evaluating the services and the writers embed current theories of grief and research in their discussion of the development of particular services.

Examples of chapters include: supporting very young children, working with volunteers, family assessment, a sibling carer story, police family liaison, groupwork, working with families pre-bereavement. Barbara Monroe started the Candle Project for bereaved children at St Christopher’s and Frances Kraus runs the project.

Pace, Victor, Teloar Adrian, Scott Sharon.

Dementia – from advanced disease to bereavement

Oxford University Press 2011.
£37.50

This is an invaluable book for any doctor, nurse or other health professional who needs knowledge and practical advice on how to care holistically for people with advanced dementia.

It covers the principles and assessment of physical symptoms, including pain control as well as mental distress and  psychobehavioural problems. It also addresses various other pertinent issues such as communication challenges, spiritual care, mental capacity, the family and carer perspectives, financial issues, the terminal phase and bereavement. It is prefixed by an authoritative list of abbreviations related to the text and the appendices include details of organisations concerned with dementia in various ways,  drug interactions and opioid dose equivalents. 

The book has been reviewed in Inside Palliative Care  (2011 volume 17 p19) by Celia Stamper, an Admiral Nurse.

Oliviere, David, Monroe Barbara, Payne Sheila (eds)

Death dying and social differences.2nd edition

Oxford University Press, 2011.
£34.95

The book is edited by Barbara Monroe, CEO at St Christopher’s, David Oliviere Director of Education at St Christopher’s and Sheila Payne, Director of the International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University

It analyses the wide range of social factors and differences that can affect access to services, assessment, interventions and individual and family experience as death approaches.

The first part of the book addresses wider contextual issues such as geographical location, poverty and attitudes to death and dying

The second section examines some of the specific groups in our society that still often lack access to high quality palliative care. This includes the elderly and young people who are in the transition between childhood and adulthood. It includes people who may already have significant needs because of their disabilities or illnesses – people with learning difficulties, mental health needs and with dementia. It includes specific groups often seen as vulnerable such as homeless people, travellers, asylum seekers, drug abusers, prisoners.It also considers issues of social difference in terms of people who may be in need of safeguarding services such as children and those who lack full mental capacity, people with may be disenfranchised because of their sexual orientation, carers and those who have been bereaved.

The book illustrates well the diverse, multi-cultural, multi-faith and wide-ranging family structures in the UK today – as well as providing significant examples of social inequalities that may impinge on access to good quality palliative care. Problems of social inequality y are described and suggestions for addressing such issues are addressed. One good example of addressing these issues is given in a chapter that assesses a programme in one hospice which has used community outreach activities to involve all sections of the local ethnic community in order to provide a more inclusive service.

Renzenbrink I (ed)

Caregiver stress and staff support in illness, dying and bereavement

Oxford University Press 2011
£29.95

This unique collection of international perspectives on the complexities and management of caregiver stress and staff support builds on the firm foundation Mary Vachon built over thirty years ago in her studies, yet broadens the scope to include significant social, political, and cultural variations on the theme. The Head of Social Work at St Christopher’s has written a chapter on leadership and staff care.

St Christopher’s Hospice

End of life care competencies

St Christopher’s Hospice, 2010
£45

This 50 page document with an accompanying CD-ROM outlines competencies required for health and social care staff who are caring for dying people in whatever setting. Competencies are grouped under four headings – eg level 1: health care support workers; level 2: registered nurses; level 3: nurse managers/ward managers; level 4; palliative care clinical nurse specialists working in community or acute settings. The competencies are also grouped into four headings – clinical practice and leadership, communication skills, education and training, and management and quality.

St Christopher’s Hospice

Advance care plan. Personal preferences and choices for end of life care

St Christopher’s Hospice 2010
£1 (enquire costs for bulk purchases)

This booklet is designed to aid discussion on decision making between the patient, family and health and social care professionals when someone has a serious life limiting illness or is a frail elderly person. It can be used in any care setting. The patient keeps the document and an advice sheet for the health and social care professional is included with each booklet.

Thomas K, Lobo B

Advance care planning in end of life care

Oxford University Press 2011
£29.95

This is probably the first book on this subject. It covers an overview and introduction to advanced care planning, with an emphasis on the context in the UK . It includes practical, spiritual and ethical aspects of advanced care planning and has specific chapters on advance decisions to refuse treatment, discussion on the Mental Capacity Act and Do not Resuscitate Orders.