Search Hospice    The Hospice Library
The hospice library contains books, professional journals, audiovisual materials, and pamphlets as well as two computers for Internet access. The emphasis of our collection is on all aspects of palliative care, death, dying, grief and bereavement. It is frequently used by members of the community as well as by our staff, patients and families, and students. Our CollectionCare is taken to choose quality materials that reflect a variety of perspectives on care at the end of life and the universal experience of dying, loss and grief. Many points of view are represented and offered in a variety of formats. From current clinical discussions on palliative care and the nature of bereavement to poetry and inspirational stories of struggle and courage, to basic "no nonsense" strategies for surviving difficult days, the collection includes resources to address the interests and needs of people of all ages. Hospice Book ClubJoin the Hospice Book Club, May 23 at 12 noon in the Grief and Loss Center as we discuss Making the Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa, M.D. Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician with a strong aversion to cats, tells the touching story of Oscar, the aloof feline resident at a nursing home This book is available from the Hospice Library or the Lexington Public Library. Literature Guides
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who only spends time with people who are about to die. Despite hearing numerous stories about Oscar's uncanny ability to predict when a patient's time is nearing, Dosa, ever the scientist, remains skeptical. Slowly, he starts to concede that there may be something special about Oscar. The doctor starts to pay more attention to the cat's odd behavior, noticing that Oscar seeks out the dying, refuses to leave a dying patient's bed or snuggles with the patient and family members until the patient passes. Dosa discovers how powerfully Oscar's mere presence reassures frightened or grieving families. This is a much expanded version of an article that Dr. Dosa wrote about Oscar which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 
