Most people have encountered a situation with an ill friend or
relative when it has been difficult to know what to say or do. Even
pastors and others in ministry are often at a loss when encountered
with a critically ill person who is looking to them for some
comfort and guidance.
Katie Maxwell's Bedside Manners provides the reader practical
directions for offering care in a variety of settings, including
hospitals, the homes of shut-ins, and nursing homes. She even
addresses often overlooked concerns-such as the pastoral care of
children, caregivers, and patients who are dying-and offers
intelligent advice like be prepared, be human, be silent, and be
positive.
Highly practical and inspiring, Bedside Manners is essential
reading for anyone who has felt uncomfortable when trying to
comfort the sick.
Do your palms sweat when you walk into a hospital to visit a
critically ill friend? Do you want to visit your uncle in the
nursing home but are unsure of what to say? Do you know someone
with a terminal illness and feel helpless to comfort him or
her?
You're not alone.
Illness is a spiritual, emotional, and physical crisis. As a
trained hospital counselor, Katie Maxwell knows that visitation
takes practice and patience. She also knows the mistakes even a
well-intentioned visitor can make and has made a few herself. In
Bedside Manners, Maxwell offers valuable insight into visitation,
whether it be in hospitals, nursing homes, or the homes of
shut-ins. Writing from personal experience and drawing from
appropriate Scripture references and various resources, Maxwell
teaches you how to be open, compassionate, empathetic, and
sensitive to a patient's needs and conditions.
Whether you're a pastor or counselor who is at a loss when
encountering a critically ill person or just a friend seeking some
intelligent advice, Bedside Manners will give you the encouragement
you need to comfort the sick.
Katie Maxwell has had years of firsthand experience visiting the
ill. The executive director of church ministries at First Covenant
Church, Katie lives in Sacramento, California.
Katie Maxwell is the executive director of church ministries at First Covenant Church in Sacramento, California. She has years of firsthand experience visiting in hospitals, in nursing homes, and with shut-ins. Before entering full-time ministry eleven years ago, Katie was a teacher and business owner and author. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother.