Educational Media Reviews Online

In the early days of the hospice movement, caregivers were often told that they couldn't be effective until they had "fully worked through their feelings about death." This is refuted by the work of the Palliative Care Unit at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital. In fact, nearness to death is one of the last things on the minds of this dedicated team. The goals of the unit are shared by patients and staff alike: to make each day the best that it can be. This philosophy frees each staff member to care personally for the patients, and allows them, in the words of one of the doctors "to introduce compassion" into medical procedures that are often impersonal and remote. Filmed over one month, Endnotes introduces the viewer to the life of the unit. Caregivers, including music therapists, pet therapists, psychologists, doctors, and housekeepers speak frankly about the effect their work has upon them. One of the best things about working here, says one doctor, is that "something might happen at any time to help us appreciate the present moment." The film deals sensitively but unsentimentally with patients as they interact with caregivers, family and friends.

Highly recommended for professional training programs in hospitals and schools. Large public libraries should consider this film for viewing by patients and their families considering hospice and other palliative care.