Local Author's Book Named 2017 Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medalist

“Last Comforts: Notes from the Forefront of Late Life Care,” a book by local author Ellen Rand, about innovations, pathfinders and better ways to navigate serious illness and end-of-life issues, has been honored by the 21st Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) as a 2017 silver medalist.

The IPPY Awards are presented by IndependentPublisher.com, operated by publishing services firm Jenkins Group of Traverse City, Michigan. Launched in 1996 and conducted each year to honor the year's best independently published books, the IPPY Awards recognize merit in a broad range of subjects and reward authors and publishers who “take chances and break new ground,” said Jim Barnes, director of the Awards.

IPPY medal-winning books will be celebrated on May 30th during the annual BookExpo publishing convention in New York, with gold, silver and bronze IPPY medallions awarded in a variety of categories. This year’s contest drew 5,000 entries, and medals will go to authors and publishers from 43 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces and 15 countries.

Rand explained that “Last Comforts” was born when one nagging question kept arising early in her journey as a hospice volunteer with Holy Name Medical Center in Bergen County, New Jersey. Why were people coming into hospice care so late in the course of their illness? That question led to many others that rippled out beyond hospice care.

The book is part memoir of lessons learned from Rand’s experiences with patients and families as a hospice volunteer; and part spotlight on the remarkable pathfinders and innovative programs in palliative and late-life care as well as in long-term care settings. A section on “A Consumer’s Guide to Navigating the Present” includes valuable resources for those who may be struggling currently with a serious illness, or taking care of someone who is ill. The book also provides links to resources to help readers prepare advance care directives as well as evaluate skilled nursing facilities and hospice agencies.

You can sign up for Ellen Rand’s blog at at http://lastcomforts.com. Follow her on Twitter: @EllenRandNJ or contact her at: lastcomforts@gmail.com. The book is available in paperback for $15.95 on Amazon or on Kindle for $9.99. To order the book: visit

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Comforts-Notes-Forefront-Late/dp/0996615342/