A better way of dying : how to make the best choices at the end of life [Book]

9780143116752

Advanced directives and living wills have improved our ability to dictate end-of-life care, but even these cannot guarantee that we will be allowed the dignity of a natural death. Designed by two sisters-one a doctor, one a lawyer-and drawing on their decades of experience, the five-step Compassion Protocol outlined in A Better Way of Dying offers a simple and effective framework for leaving caretakers concrete, unambiguous, and legally binding instructions about your wishes for your last days. Meant for people in every walk of life-from the elderly, to those in the early stages of mentally degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, to healthy young people planning for an unpredictable future-this book creates space for a discussion we all must have if we wish to ensure comfort and control at the end of our lives..

The need for change : the cautionary tale of Phyllis Shattuck -- Your right to die -- The competent elderly -- The terminally ill -- Alzheimer's dementia and the compassion protocol -- Know your options (step one) -- Make your decisions (step two) -- Communicate your decisions (step three) -- Do the paperwork (step four) -- Step five : plan the kind of death you want -- Hospice and the compassion protocol -- Everyone's worst fear : the nursing home -- Looking ahead.