"Death is the destiny we all share, and this will not change. Yet the way we die, which had remained 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, and 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, having reached 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, however we also face new problems as a result of the new way in which we die. We can no longer anticipate a peaceful waning at home with family. We know our lives will likely end in hospitals likely after we have endured grueling treatments to prolong life. 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 own lives, and when faced with the deaths 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, enhanced by 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. "-- "This book is for people who have questions about the end of life - what to expect, how to prepare for it, what to do when you get there. It is intended to help you understand this important part of life and prepare for it better, for yourself and for those who are important to you. Contemporary medical diagnostics and treatments have provided hope and wonderful outcomes for many people, but for some at the end of life, contemporary medicine also brings distress, uncertainty, and conflict. The process of dying may be prolonged and associated with great expense, and death often occurs in a hospital rather than at home. Also, as we are dying, we may be in a condition in which we cannot express our wishes about important decisions and such decisions must be left to others. Here the author, a physician who has cared for dying patients, served as an ethics consultant, interacting with patients, their families, physicians, and other health professionals, and taught end of life issues to medical and other health profession students, discusses in straight-forward language the matters that are pertinent to preparing for the process of dying - how dying has changed and why that is important, what we mean by quality of life and how that relates to end-of-life decisions, what are the implications of making one's wishes known and how to ensure that they are followed, how ethical conflicts that arise in the care of dying patients may be resolved, what palliative care is and when one might consider receiving its benefits, the facts about physician-assisted death and other forms of suicide when dying seems inevitably soon, and what it means to create the final chapter of the narrative of one's own life"--