Modern medicine has transformed the dangers of childbirth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the face of our inevitable aging and death, what it can do often runs counter to what it should do. Now Atul Gawande reveals the suffering this has produced. He examines the profession's limitations and failures as life draws to a close, and he shows how the ultimate goal is not a good death, but a good life -- until the very...

A straightforward, wise, and humorous narrative field guide for both the dying and those who love them by an author who brings a unique set of qualifications to this delicate subjectshe's a Pushcart Prize-winning writer, a palliative care nurse with more than ten years of experience, and a lifelong Buddhist. If you don't plan, you're only limiting your options. We do not know when we will die. We may see it coming from far away, or all at once....

"Caring for the Dying describes a whole new way to approach death and dying. It explores how the dying and their families can bring deep meaning and great comfort to the care given at the end of a life. Created by Henry Fersko-Weiss, the end-of-life doula model is adapted from the work of birth doulas and helps the dying to find meaning in their life, express that meaning in powerful and beautiful legacies, and plan for the final days. The approach...

"A Yale physician's fascinating and wise exploration of why so many people die poorly and how a medieval bestseller on the art of dying well holds important lessons for today."--

"An ICU and Palliative Care specialist featured in the Netflix documentary Extremis offers a framework for a better way to exit life that will change our medical culture at the deepest level In medical school, no one teaches you how to let a patient die. Jessica Zitter became a doctor because she wanted to be a hero. She elected to specialize in critical care--to become an ICU physician--and imagined herself swooping in to rescue patients from the...

Sharing stories of real people they have encountered as professional hospice caregivers, the authors explore both the practical and philosophical aspects of the hospice movement. Straightforward and nontechnical in approach, Hospice, A Labor of Love offers help and inspiration to hospice volunteers, pastoral counselors, and the families of those who are receiving hospice care.

All of us are entitled to the rewards of a peaceful, pain-free death. This book honors that with true stories about hospice patients and inspiring insights from the author. Becoming Dead Right guides us through the general and "how to" information maze that prepares us for dealing with death. Improving and expanding hospice services will require systemic changes in healthcare institutions, outreach to diverse populations, and funding. With the inclusion...

"Practical help, encouragement, and spiritual direction for family members or friends who are caregivers for their elderly loved ones"--Provided by publisher.

This book details Anne Allbright Smith's eleven days of discomfort and pain as she voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) to bring about her own death. This was despite compassionate hospice care throughout. There is overwhelming public support for Medical Aid in Dying (MAID). Yet only ten states and the District of Columbia have MAID statutes on their books. Why won't more legislators support the will of their constituents? By contrast,...