Finishing Our Story
Preparing for the End of Life
Seiten
2019
Oxford University Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-19-088808-4 (ISBN)
Oxford University Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-19-088808-4 (ISBN)
This book is for people who have questions about the end of life in other words, all of us. Gregory Eastwood, a physician and ethicist, confronts questions such as: what to expect, how to prepare for death, what to do when you get there. The book helps us to prepare for our death or that of loved ones in a careful, thoughtful, and practical way.
Death is the destiny we all share. This will not change. But the way we die, which had been the same for many generations, has changed drastically in a relatively short time for those in developed countries with access to healthcare. For generations, if people were lucky enough to reach old age, not having died in infancy or childhood, in childbirth, in war, or by accident, they would take to bed, surrounded by loved ones who cared for them, and fade into death. Most likely, they would have seen their parents and grandparents die the same way, so this manner of dying would be familiar. It was part of the natural cycle of life.
Now less than 25 per cent of Americans die at home, at much older ages than people would have dreamed of in past generations, often after surviving many illnesses and even diseases that would have been terminal for their grandparents. We are fortunate to live (and die) today, supported by myriad scientific, medical, and technological advancements. But we also face new problems as a result of the new way that we die. We cannot look forward to a peaceful waning when we know our lives will likely end in hospitals, having endured very expensive care, rather than at home with family. We have to decide what decisions we want our loved ones, or care-givers, to make when we cannot choose for ourselves. We have to think about whether in any circumstances we would seek physician-assisted death. We know we face other questions as well, but we may not even know where to start.
In the face of these decisions, we can feel daunted and afraid. The best remedy is information and planning. In this book, Gregory Eastwood - a physician who has cared for dying patients, served as an ethics consultant, and taught end of life issues to medical and other health profession students - draws from his substantial experience with patients and families to provide the information that will help us think clearly about the choices and issues we will face at the end of our lives, and the end of our loved ones'.
With sensitivity and profound insight, Eastwood guides us through all the important questions about death and dying in straightforward, clear language and through real-life stories. Throughout, he shows us how we can take ownership of the way we want to die, when we must die, and feel more in control as death approaches.
Death is the destiny we all share. This will not change. But the way we die, which had been the same for many generations, has changed drastically in a relatively short time for those in developed countries with access to healthcare. For generations, if people were lucky enough to reach old age, not having died in infancy or childhood, in childbirth, in war, or by accident, they would take to bed, surrounded by loved ones who cared for them, and fade into death. Most likely, they would have seen their parents and grandparents die the same way, so this manner of dying would be familiar. It was part of the natural cycle of life.
Now less than 25 per cent of Americans die at home, at much older ages than people would have dreamed of in past generations, often after surviving many illnesses and even diseases that would have been terminal for their grandparents. We are fortunate to live (and die) today, supported by myriad scientific, medical, and technological advancements. But we also face new problems as a result of the new way that we die. We cannot look forward to a peaceful waning when we know our lives will likely end in hospitals, having endured very expensive care, rather than at home with family. We have to decide what decisions we want our loved ones, or care-givers, to make when we cannot choose for ourselves. We have to think about whether in any circumstances we would seek physician-assisted death. We know we face other questions as well, but we may not even know where to start.
In the face of these decisions, we can feel daunted and afraid. The best remedy is information and planning. In this book, Gregory Eastwood - a physician who has cared for dying patients, served as an ethics consultant, and taught end of life issues to medical and other health profession students - draws from his substantial experience with patients and families to provide the information that will help us think clearly about the choices and issues we will face at the end of our lives, and the end of our loved ones'.
With sensitivity and profound insight, Eastwood guides us through all the important questions about death and dying in straightforward, clear language and through real-life stories. Throughout, he shows us how we can take ownership of the way we want to die, when we must die, and feel more in control as death approaches.
Gregory L. Eastwood, MD, is University Professor of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Professor of Bioethics and Humanities, Professor of Medicine, and a former President of SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York. Dr. Eastwood has authored over 140 articles and book chapters and has written or edited several professional books.
Introduction. The Beginning of the End
Chapter 1. Dying Isn't What It Used To Be
Chapter 2. The Good Life
Chapter 3. Making Our Wishes Known
Chapter 4. Resolving Ethical Conflicts
Chapter 5. Palliative Care
Chapter 6. May I Choose to Kill Myself?
Chapter 7. Finishing Our Story
| Erscheinungsdatum | 20.02.2019 |
|---|---|
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 175 x 127 mm |
| Gewicht | 136 g |
| Themenwelt | Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie ► Psychologie |
| Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie ► Trennung / Trauer | |
| Medizin / Pharmazie ► Medizinische Fachgebiete ► Geriatrie | |
| Medizin / Pharmazie ► Medizinische Fachgebiete ► Medizinethik | |
| Medizin / Pharmazie ► Medizinische Fachgebiete ► Palliativmedizin | |
| Studium ► Querschnittsbereiche ► Geschichte / Ethik der Medizin | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-19-088808-3 / 0190888083 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-19-088808-4 / 9780190888084 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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