Additional information
by Joyce Ivory Lea (Author)
This book is a comprehensive guide to visiting and supporting patients in need. It is both an in-depth and upbeat compilation of ideas, struggles, and practical applications that help us address the challenges we face when someone we care for is seriously ill or injured. Whether a patient or visitor, by following even a handful of its many suggestions, we will face our challenges with greater stamina, grace, and joy. Although our need for support is greatest at the start of our journey, Ms. Lea contends there are more life-changing resources available to us than we are aware of and that we can uncover them by making simple changes in what we do and what we think. The most important of these is acceptance. With every challenge and at every turn, she writes, there is the opportunity to start again.
Author Biography
Joyce Ivory Lea was in the hospital having just given birth to her first child when her husband Bill fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of his car. The accident left him a quadriplegic. For the next twenty-six years she was his caregiver while they raised their son, adopted a daughter, and ultimately forged a new life together - a life neither of them could have imagined was possible. Although the early days and years after the accident were understandably difficult, Joyce became keenly aware of the crucial need for attentive, responsive, and supportive visitors, especially when her husband's condition was complicated with additional health issues. Bill thrived best when he was in uplifting company. Ms. Lea further developed her theories on constructive visits and her understanding of the healing power inherent in our personal relationships while studying philosophy during a five-year residence in an ashram in India and by participating in numerous specialized seminars, workshops, and studies. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services and is a Certified Health Facilitator focusing on humor.
