Chapter 13 "Nonverbal Communications" Summary and Analysis

Dying people do not always communicate by words; those near death frequently use non-verbal communication. Often, speaking is painful, exhausting, or impossible, and communication is therefore attempted by subtle non-verbal methodologies. The chapter presents three case studies, which illustrate disparate non-verbal communication techniques. In most instances, such non-verbal communication is very subtle and is often missed by family members. In all of the biographies offered in the text, the dying person's non-verbal communications were misunderstood or ignored by family members and would have passed unnoticed except that a hospice worker understood the message and translated it for the family.

In one case, a young gay man dies of AIDS. His parents are supportive throughout his dying but are unable to emotionally let go of their son. When the medical staff recommends that they withdraw intravenous...