Jane Brody's Guide to the Great beyond: A Practical Primer to Help You and Your Loved Ones Prepare Medically, Legally, and Emotionally for the End of Life

From the beloved New York Times columnist, trusted authority on health, and bestselling author comes this complete guide to everything you need to know–emotionally, spiritually, and practically–to prepare for the end of life.

An invaluable road map to putting your affairs in order–or helping your loved ones do the same–this comprehensive book will answer every question you might have about what does and does not help smooth the transition between life and the Great Beyond. Wise, practical, and characteristically straightforward throughout, Brody advises on

• the intricacies of a well-thought-out (and fully spelled-out) living will that health care practitioners readily understand–and how to designate a health care proxy.

• planning a funeral or memorial to ensure your wishes are followed, including tips on how to reduce expenses.

• discussing prognoses and treatment options with doctors.

• your options for controlling pain, shortness of breath, bed sores, and other physical symptoms–plus the facts on feeding tubes.

• receiving the support you need through hospice care–and suggestions for loved ones and friends who want to help.

• lightening and enlightening your trials by incorporating spirituality into your life.

• understanding what happens, physically and mentally, when death is imminent, and recognizing when hand-holding and reassurance, not food or drink or an oxygen mask or CPR, is the proper course of action.

• easing your way through the journey of grief by admitting the reality of the loss, showing your emotions, and allowing yourself the time you feel you need.

No matter your age or current health, preparing for the inevitable when you are still fully in control of your faculties ensures that you’ll be in a far better position to enjoy the time you have left. As Brody notes, “From the start, consider the finish.”

Covering topics ranging from financial planning and medical issues to emotional considerations, the best-selling author of Jane Brody's Nutrition Book offers a thoughtful guide to help readers proactively prepare for the end of life, with advice on health care proxies, wills, funeral preparations, palliative care, and more. 100,000 first printing.

Jane Brody writes a weekly personal health column for The New York Times, which is syndicated in scores of other newspapers around the country. She is the author of several books, including Jane Brody’s Good Food Book, Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book, and Jane Brody’s Good Seafood Book. She has also written many magazine articles and frequently lectures on health issues to audiences both lay and professional. She has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows and has received numerous prestigious awards for journalistic excellence.

End-of-life issues are not new for me — Get ready now for the great beyond — Death is inevitable, so be prepared — A good death: there's more than one right way to die — Advance directives: a living will is not enough — Funeral? Memorial? Why plan ahead for the end — Charting a course of the end of life — Uncertain future: living with a bad prognosis — Coma: when the brain is on hold — Living well to the end: where and how — Caregiving: tending someone at the end of life — Hospice and palliative care: don't wait until it's too late — Spiritual care: lighten and enlighten and end-of-life journey — When a child is dying: surviving the nightmare — What to say: conversations at the end of life — Doctors who disappear: what can be done about it — Assisted dying: what to consider when illness is unbearable — Grief: it's not a disease — Life after death: what you leave behind counts — Organ and body donations: a gift of life — Autopsy: valuable lessons from the dead — Lasting legacies: leave memories and life lessons — From the start consider the finish.