This “comforting...thoughtful” (
The Washington Post
) guide to maintaining a high quality of life—from resilient old age to the first inklings of a serious illness to the final breath—by the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Knocking on Heaven’s Door
is a “roadmap to the end that combines medical, practical, and spiritual guidance” (
The Boston Globe
)
.
“A common sense path to define what a ‘good’ death looks like” (
USA TODAY
),
The Art of Dying Well
is about living as well as possible for as long as possible and adapting successfully to change. Packed with extraordinarily helpful insights and inspiring true stories, award-winning journalist Katy Butler shows how to thrive in later life (even when coping with a chronic medical condition), how to get the best from our health system, and how to make your own “good death” more likely. Butler explains how to successfully age in place, why to pick a younger doctor and how to have an honest conversation with them, when
not
to call 911, and how to make your death a sacred rite of passage rather than a medical event. This handbook of preparations—practical, communal, physical, and spiritual—will help you make the most of your remaining time, be it decades, years, or months.
Based on Butler’s experience caring for aging parents, and hundreds of interviews with people who have successfully navigated our fragmented health system and helped their loved ones have good deaths,
also draws on the expertise of national leaders in family medicine, palliative care, geriatrics, oncology, and hospice. This “empowering guide clearly outlines the steps necessary to prepare for a beautiful death without fear” (
Shelf Awareness
).