From the Book - First Scribner hardcover edition.
RESILIENCE: The wake-up call ; Building reserves ; Finding allies in preventive medicine ; Weighing medical risks ; Getting to know the neighbors ; Knowing your medical rights ; Caring for the soul
SLOWING DOWN: When less is more ; Simplifying daily life ; Finding allies in slow medicine, geriatrics, and a good HMO ; Reviewing medications ; Reducing screenings ; Making peace with loss
ADAPTATION: A moment of truth ; Mapping the future and making plans ; Finding allies in occupational and physical therapy ; Disaster-proofing daily life ; Making a move ; Practicing interdependence ; Being an example
AWARENESS OF MORTALITY: The art of honest hope ; Talking to your doctor ; Understanding the trajectory of your illness ; Preparing the family ; Finding allies in palliative care ; Reflecting on what gives your life meaning ; Staying in charge ; Thinking creatively ; Redefining hope
HOUSE OF CARDS: If only someone had warned us ; Recognizing frailty ; Avoiding the hospital ; Finding allies in House call programs ; Upgrading advance directives ; Coping with dementia ; Shifting to comfort care ; Enjoying your red velvet cake
PREPARING FOR A GOOD DEATH: Making good use of the time you have left ; Finding allies in hospice ; Next steps ; Settling your affairs ; Choosing the time of death ; Loving, thanking, and forgiving
Getting help from your tribe
ACTIVE DYING: The tree needs to come down ; This is what dying looks like ; Preparing for a home death ; Preparing in a nursing home ; Giving care ; The final hours ; Humanizing a hospital death ; Improvising rites of passage ; Welcoming mystery ; Saying goodbye
Conclusion: Toward a new art of dying.
