Those Who Stay Behind
When a Family Member is Dying
By Larry Churchill, Mia Doron,
Erica Rothman, and Lisa Yarger

"There's nothing in my life experience that prepared me for this. This was something altogether new, and it needs to be how you feel, not how a whole set of conventions are telling you to feel. Allowing yourself that is crucial."

When patients and their families enter the hospital, they enter a culture that is unfamiliar and often frightening. Yet it is within this context that many families must make decisions about when and how to help a loved one who is dying. Faced with such a monumental responsibility, they may feel bewildered, overwhelmed, and very alone, and may wish they could have a guide to help them navigate the healthcare system, the tangle of medical decisions they must make, and even their own grief process.

This video offers such a guide through interviews with five people who have recently lost family members. Those Who Stay Behind can be used effectively with audiences of family members, bereavement groups, church and community groups exploring end-of-life issues, and hospice and hospital staff and volunteers, and nursing and medical students.

A Family Handbook which accompanies the video includes a synopsis, a listing of resources, and further information to help viewers with learning bad news, taking care of each other, caretaking decisions, letting go , talking to others, grieving, advance directives, and later decisions.

31 minutes
© 1999
Purchase $199.00 DVD
Order No. QA-295

Reviews
"A superb offering, this program is highly recommended for collections in the health sciences, particularly those specializing in thanatology and bereavement, social work and psychology." MC Journal

Awards & Conference Screenings
Hospice Foundation of America

Related Films
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Surviving Death: Seven people from a variety of cultural backgrounds speak openly about how they have been affected by the death of someone close to them, and about the ways they have found to survive their loss.

How I Coped When Mommy Died: This inspiring video was created by 13-year-old Brett after losing his mother to breast cancer when he was ten. Original music, animated video, photographs and artwork illustrate the teenager's experiences, thoughts, and feelings, while he takes the viewer on a journey through several years of his life.

Inner Views of Grief: Five young adults eloquently describe their reactions to the sudden, sometimes violent death of a parent, sibling, or friend.

Grief in America: A comprehensive, multi-ethnic perspective on the ways Americans deal with grief and loss in all their forms.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

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