The Little Blue Book... and so much more: An End-Of-Life Series for Hospices
For 35 years, hospices, hospitals, and organizations providing end-of-life care have been usingGone From My Sight: The Dying Experience,to support families through their loved ones’ dying experience.Gone From My Sight, "The Hospice Blue Book", written by renowned end of life educator and Hospice Pioneer Barbara KarnesRN, has become an essential tool for hospice workers to prepare families for their loved ones’ final moments.
Gone from My Sight is part of a larger collection of Barbara's work called,The End of Life Guideline Series. This series of booklets for hospice workers provides families with theknowledge andcomfortthey need to understand the dying and grieving process. The seriesalso significantly improves CAHPS scores and meets Medicare requirements for consistent patient/family education.
BK Books provides quantity discounts for agencies who order our materials; see our Agency Ordering Form here. We also provide branding and custom coverswhich can be a powerful marketing tool for your agency.
Hospice, Hospital, and Nursing Facility Education for Families
Hospice care is not just about facilitating a comfortable death for the patient. It includesteaching and guiding families and friends though the dying process.
Our end-of-life booklets for hospices, hospitals, death doulas, and end of life professionals provide a resource to comfort and educate the family so they can be fully present for the death of their loved ones. These booklets are written on a fifth grade reading level and in large print.
The End of Life Guideline Series consists of the following materials. They can be given to families in the series or given individually as the patient’s progression dictates.
- A Time to Live: Living with a Life Threatening Illnessis written for the person with a life threatening illness, from new diagnosis to as long as the person has the energy to read. A great booklet for the Palliative Care patient.
- Gone from My Sight: The Dying Experienceexplains the stages of dying from disease with signs signifying months, weeks, day, and hours.
- The Eleventh Hour: A Caring Guideline to the Hours to Minutes Before Deathis a guide for family and friends of what to do in the hours to minutes before the death.
- Pain at End of Life: What You Need to Know About End of Life Comfort and Pain Managementaddresses the difference in pain management for someone who is going to get better versus someone who is dying. Also discusses misinformation and fears about narcotics.
- My Friend, I Care: The Grief Experiencespeaks to the normal process of grief. Is used as a sympathy card while offering guidance a well as condolences.
The End of Life Guideline Series does not just benefit those who are losing a loved one. These booklets offer guidance for hospice nurses, hospital workers, in-home caregivers, death doulas, chaplains, and religious figures.
Barbara’s Story
Barbara Karnes, in her work as a hospice nurse,realized there are just two ways to die, suddenly or gradually and that gradual death had a process to it. She wroteGone from My Sightto educate and guideher patient’s families through the dying experience.You can learn more about Barbara here.
Barbara Karnes’ materials are more than just booklets. When you start using the End of Life Guideline Series, you and your organization will be a part of the BK Books community. Join end-of-life professionals from across the globe and connect with Barbara herself for insights specific to your hospice.
What Our Customers Are Saying
Gone From My Sight is a gift to all of those seeking to understand death and the dying process. It is a valuable resource to hospice staff and those they serve. We receive rave reviews from family members about The Hospice Blue Book that demystifies the stages of dying and leaves them feeling more prepared, and at ease, as their loved ones' lives come to a close. Barbara Karnes, RN writes with clarity and simplicity and this book is proof positive - good things come in small packages - Betty Oldanie, RN, BSN, MS, Vice President Planning, Suncoast Hospice
So helpful and convenient for EOL Doulas! I love these books because the topics are direct, the writing is clear, and the font is large. These are all helpful for people who are grieving. As an End of Life Doula, I use these booklets frequently to give to my clients whose loved one is dying or has just died (the yellow one). I include them with as part of a "grief comfort kit" I give to the dying person's friends and family. - Vanessa J.
Iused this book throughout my 25 yrs as hospice nurse, presenting it to families as patients staring to go through end of life changes. Somehow reading the book with simply and clearly stated stages allowed family members to comprehend more fully my verbal teaching and guidance. Despite being retired I still buy multiple booklets at a time to give to family and friends with terminally ill family members who can then easily share the information among themselves. - Patricia B.
We’re happy to answer any of your questions and help you to provide your clients with the best possible end of life education.
Learn more about all of our education materials here; you can also see the entire End-Of-Life Guideline Series and read more reviews here.
Contact Barbara Karnes, RNand the BK Team Today
