Changing the Way We Die

Book excerpt: 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.