Non-Fiction/Self Help Review

24/7 or Dead: A Handbook for Families with a Loved One in the Hospital
by Jari Holland Buck
ISBN-10: 142085982X
Review by Heather Froeschl

When your loved one is in the hospital you want to be able to trust that things will be okay, you want to be able to focus on simply loving the person, holding their hand and being supportive. Unfortunately, while we need to do that, we need to do so much more. Becoming an advocate for your loved one is now so vitally important. Jari Holland Buck’s book should be required reading for every American.

Jari has been there and done that and you will thank her for telling her story so that you can learn from it. She is a non-medical person, a regular, every day woman, whose advocacy for her husband Bill more than likely, nearly absolutely, saved his life. He was in four different hospitals over the course of nearly nine months. She was by his side 24/7. Because of her witness and attention to every detail of his treatment she was able to advocate for what was best for him, at numerous moments of dire need. Bill nearly died, several times. If Jari hadn’t been there, he likely wouldn’t be here today.

What did she do and how did she do it? Jari shares her story but also offers advice to readers in the position of being a loved one’s advocate. From the very first moments of hospitalization, to dealing with the hospital’s policies on patient files, rooming in, permissions for treatment etc., to Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Patient Rights and most important, taking care of yourself, Jari offers guidance in every step and instance. Each chapter is detailed and covers the topic in a no-nonsense, been there-done that sort of way. Readers will have an understanding of Jari and Bill’s experience but will also learn a great deal and have applicable steps to take in being an advocate themselves.

24/7 or Dead is straightforward, well written and easy to understand. It is a learning tool in layman’s terms. Gentle and open for those in grave need and morale boosting support for those ready to take action. I trust that all who read it become the latter.

I only wish I’d had this book to guide me in earlier needs. Patients and their loved ones do not have to sit placidly and silently obey what the mighty doctor has to say. This isn’t an attack on doctors, nurses or hospitals but it is a call to become a partner with those medical professionals. Through this partnership we can all help our loved ones and avoid unnecessary mistakes. Don’t wait until you need this book to read it. In any medical circumstance, dire or routine, you are best to be aware of what you can do to be an advocate, for yourself, and for your loved ones.