Title: The welcome visitor : living well, dying well /
Authors: Humphrys, John.; Jarvis, Sarah.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton,
Year: 2009
Subjects: Death.; Death Psychological aspects; Longevity.; Old age.
Abstract: "Death is a subject modern society shies away from ... But if we regard death as a failure in our frantic desire to prolong life, how can we arrive at a humane approach to those whose lives have lost all meaning? ... [The author] takes a wider view of how our attitude to death has changed. Writing with Dr Sarah Jarvis, who has over 22 years experience of dealing with the dying, he confronts one of the greatest challenges facing the Western world today: are we keeping people alive simply because we can? There are no easy answers, but the first step is surely to accept that death can be as welcome as it is inevitable."--Book jacket.
Contents: A sense of guilt and betrayal -- The monster of old age -- Can we delay the inevitable? -- Is death a medical failure? -- A good death -- The trouble with families -- Facing up to reality -- Hope and consolation -- The gold standards framework -- Be prepared -- Killing from kindness -- Taking control -- The doctor's dilemma -- Who decides? -- Last words.