Decision making near the end of life : issues, development, and future directions [Book]

9780415954488 (hardbound : alk. paper)

CIP record. Publication date: 11 08

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Adolescent end-of-life decision-making: family-centered advance care planning / Richard and Maureen E. Lyon -- The grip of pain / Jonathan Spannhake -- Decision-making in the absence of advance directives : a personal story of letting go / Laura Crow -- A hastened death / Nicola Raye -- How people die in the United States / Marilyn Field -- The media and end of life choices and decisions / Marilyn Webb -- Three female faces : the law of end-of-life decision making in America / Kathy L. Cerminara -- End-of-life choices / Phillip M. Kleepsies, Pamela J. Miller, and Thomas A. Preston -- Decision-making in palliative care / Victor T. Chang and Nethra Sambamoorthi -- Communication related to end-of-life care and decisions / Ellen L. Csikai -- Dying in institutions / Suzanne S. Prevost and J. Brandon Wallace -- What would Terri want? : advance directive and the psychological challenges of surrogate decision making / Peter H. Ditto -- The possible impact of mental health issues on end-of-life decision making / James L. Werth Jr. -- Family end-of-life decision making / Sharla Wells-DiGregorio -- Religious and spiritual perspectives on life-threatening illness, dying, and death / Kenneth J. Doka -- Culture, individual diversity, and end-of-life decisions / Bert Hayslip Jr. ... [et al.] -- Decisions by and for adults with questionnable mental capacity : focus on dementia / Ladislav Volicier -- Pediatric patient-oriented problem-solving near the end of life / Chris Feudtner and Anne Kazak.

Decision Making near the End of Life provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments that have impacted decision-making processes within the field of end-of-life care. The most current developments in all aspects of major underlying issues such as public attitudes, the impact of media, bioethics, and legal precedent provide the background information for the text. The authors examine various aspects of end-of-life choices and decision-making, including communication (between and among family, medical personnel, the dying person), advance directives, and the emergence of hospice and palliative care institutions. The book also explores a variety of psychosocial considerations that arise in decision-making, including religion/spirituality, family caregiving, disenfranchised and diverse groups, and the psychological and psychiatric problems that can impact both the dying person and loved ones. Case studies and first-person stories about decision-making, written by professionals in the field, bring a uniquely personal touch to this valuable text.