The Gerasim model of caregiving: reflections on Tolstoy's novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich.

Count Leo Tolstoy's classic novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886/1981) is examined from the perspective of a health care professional for its portrayal of a helping relationship between the central character and his servant Gerasim. The purpose of the article is to extrapolate helping behaviors depicted in the story and construct a caregiving model. Tolstoy's work, literary critiques of the novel, biographies of Tolstoy, and principles from feminist ethics are used as sources. The model will be of assistance to those who care for the terminally ill.