Changing the way we die: compassionate end of life care and the hospice movement

Description

"There's a quiet revolution happening in the way we die. More than 1.5 million Americans a year die in hospice care-nearly 44 percent of all deaths-and a vast industry has sprung up to meet the growing demand. Once viewed as a New Age indulgence, hospice is now a $14 billion business and one of the most successful segments in health care. Changing the Way We Die, by award-winning journalists Fran Smith and Sheila Himmel, is the first book to take a broad, penetrating look at the hospice landscape, through gripping stories of real patients, families, and doctors, as well as the corporate giants that increasingly own the market. Changing the Way We Die is a vital resource for anyone who wants to be prepared to face life's most challenging and universal event. You will learn: - Hospice use is soaring, yet most people come too late to get the full benefits. - With the age tsunami, it becomes even more critical for families and patients to choose end-of-life care wisely. - Hospice at its best is much more than a way to relieve the suffering of dying. It is a way to live"--;Foreword; Introduction; Part One: The Choice; Chapter One: What Do You Want to Do with the Rest of Your Life?; Chapter Two: Birth of a Movement; Chapter Three: Cure Versus Care; Part Two: The Patients; Chapter Four: Evelyn Landes: House Calls; Alice and Ying Wun: A Fragile Family Peace; Chapter Six: Peter Serrell: Final Fast; Chapter Seven: Fred Holliday: Inside the Catch-22 of Hospice; Part Three: The Survivors; Chapter Eight: Up from the Abyss; Chapter Nine: Turning Points; Part Four: The Providers; Chapter Ten: The Gift of Grace; Chapter Eleven: New Course for Doctors.