"A riveting, incisive, and wide-ranging book about the Right to Die movement, and the doctors, patients, and activists at the heart of this increasingly urgent issue. As much of the world's population grows older, the quest for a "good death," has become a significant issue. For many, the right to die often means the right to die with dignity. The Inevitable moves beyond margins of the law to the people who are meticulously planning their final hours-far...

"In Dear Life, palliative care specialist Dr. Rachel Clarke recounts her professional and personal journey to understand not the end of life, but life at its end. Death was conspicuously absent during Rachel's medical training. Instead, her education focused entirely on learning to save lives, and was left wanting when it came to helping patients and their families face death. She came to specialize in palliative medicine because it is the one specialty...

"Though we all face death, it is common to be unprepared and to avoid any discussion concerning our final days. Dr. Jeff Spiess examines the culture of death-related anxiety in America, providing readers with actionable steps and spiritual guidance to prepare fiscally, legally, mentally, and physically for their end"--

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...

Framed by the author's personal odyssey as a caregiver and richly informed by the inspiring and poignant tales of others, Caregiving explores medical and financial problems, all aspects of spirituality, and such issues as depression, stress, housing, home care, and end-of-life concerns. A rare blend of powerful storytelling and practical information, Caregiving is a revelation.

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,...

In a heartbeat, you or someone you love may be rapidly transformed from a life of health and wellness to one of critical illness. Over the past four decades, Ronald Kotler, M.D., has treated patients who have become critically ill. He has seen patients recover and go on to lead long, healthy lives. He has also treated patients who did not survive. In this medical memoir, Dr. Kotler takes readers to the frontlines of caring for critically ill patients...

"Motivated by their personal experiences with loss, two long-time friends-one a hospice worker and the other a State Teacher of the Year-present a powerful and inspiring film on the American struggle with communication and preparation at the end-of-life. Consider the Conversation examines multiple perspectives on end-of-life care and includes interviews with patients, family members, doctors, nurses, clergy, social workers, and national experts from...

Anna didn't want to die. She wanted to live to see her grand-daughters' weddings. But, it was not to be. It is always tragic to lose a loved one, but it is sheer torture to watch one's partner deteriorate day by day, losing faculties one by one, the use of arms, legs and hands, and eventually the ability to speak. It is awful when a brain ceases to function, memory goes and friends are no longer recognised. It is even worse when someone is aware...

"There is an unspoken dark side of American medicine--keeping patients alive at all costs. Two thirds of Americans die in healthcare institutions tethered to machines and tubes, even though research indicates that most prefer to die at home in comfort, surrounded by loved ones. The question How do you want to live? must be posed to the seriously ill because they deserve to choose. If doctors explain options--including the choice to forego countless...