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In the tradition of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, this compassionate work helps individuals develop a more accepting view of dying while teaching them what to expect and how to navigate the healthcare system at the end of life.In elderhood, the health care system has a narrow view of how to provide care. It focuses on extending a patient's life at all costs, with an over-reliance on machines and procedures, instead of caring holistically for the
person. Accordingly, many of us will likely spend our final weeks in long-term care facilities or an ICU.
Dying at home, peacefully, and surrounded by family is almost impossible in our world--and our fear of death is a major contributor to this impossibility. Fittingly, the central idea of this book is that in old age, or when facing a terminal diagnosis, it is more important to
understand your life rather than to
extend it. While this may seem simple, its implications are profound.
A natural death means accepting that, at some point, we are old enough or sick enough to die. In our cynical and overly clinical age, it is difficult to reflect on the meaning of one's life, but that kind of honest introspection is exactly what we need. Accordingly,
The Journey's End seeks to help people manage their healthcare, their expectations, and their decisions in the final phase of life.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments:
Forward By Professor David B. Nash, MD, MBA
Introduction: Chapter 1: Preparing for the Last Phase of Life Chapter 2: Agony: the Default Option Chapter 3: The Fiction of Living Forever Chapter 4: The Art and Science of Medicine Chapter 5: The Economics and Ethics of Dying Chapter 6: The Physicians' Burden Chapter 7: Patient Autonomy - A Double-Edged Sword Chapter 8: Who's Afraid of the Big GR? Chapter 9: Disappearing Chapter 10: Options for End-of-Life Care Chapter 11: Preparing the Paperwork for Elderhood Chapter 12: Understanding the FFS Payment System Chapter 13: Fixing Primary Care Physicians Payments Chapter 14: Making Comfort Care More Accessible Chapter 15: Funding Options for End-of-Life Care Chapter 16: Reinstituting the Role of Care Coordination And Creating A Home for End-of-Life Conversations Chapter 17: Accepting Life's Limits Chapter 18: The Importance of Trade-Offs. Chapter 19: Concluding Observations Appendix: Summary Recommendations
About the author
Shirley Samuels is professor of English and American studies at Cornell University.
Summary
Our healthcare system is broken—particularly for the elderly and terminally ill. Modern healthcare is obsessed with trying to extend life instead of caring holistically for the patient. The fear of death compounds these problems. The Journey’s End offers unique perspectives and solutions to these issues.
