Chris Palmer is an end-of-life activist and a trained hospice volunteer. He founded and currently leads an aging, death, and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village and serves on the board of several nonprofits focused on end-of-life issues, including Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice, Final Exit Network, Funeral Consumers Alliance, Hemlock Society of San Diego, and the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight. He has written ten books and frequently gives presentations and workshops to community groups on aging, death, and dying issues. Proceeds from all his books fund scholarships for American University (AU) students, where he served 14 years on AU’s full-time faculty as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence. Before becoming involved in end-of-life issues, he spent forty years as a wildlife and conservation filmmaker. To learn more, visit www.ChrisPalmerOnline.com.

As a physician for many years, I wish I had Chris Palmer’s book Achieving a Good Death as a resource for my patients and families. He tackles head-on the practical issues we all face but shy away from dealing with them. Each of us deserves a dignified and meaningful end of life, and this book is a sure-fire guide to achieving that noble goal.

• PrefaceIntroductionChapter 1: What Is a Good Death?Chapter 2: Live Well So as To Die WellChapter 3: Decluttering, Death Cleaning, and Getting OrganizedChapter 4: Advance Directives, “The Conversation,” and Health Care AgentsChapter 5: Legacy Letter, Ethical Wills, and MemoirsChapter 6: Caring for CaregiversChapter 7: Palliative Care, Hospice, and End-of-Life DoulasChapter 8: End-of-Life OptionsChapter 9: What Is It Like to Die?Chapter 10: What to Do with the BodyChapter 11: Memorial Services, Eulogies, and ObituariesChapter 12: Grief and MourningEpilogue: Reimagining Death and DyingAppendix I: Letters Describing a Desired End of LifeAppendix II: Legacy Letters and Ethical WillsAppendix III: A EulogyAppendix IV: A Burial and Memorial ServiceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorNotesIndex

Chris Palmer is an end-of-life activist and a trained hospice volunteer. He founded and currently leads an aging, death, and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village and serves on the board of several nonprofits focused on end-of-life issues, including Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice, Final Exit Network, Funeral Consumers Alliance, Hemlock Society of San Diego, and the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight. He has written ten books and frequently gives presentations and workshops to community groups on aging, death, and dying issues. Proceeds from all his books fund scholarships for American University (AU) students, where he served 14 years on AU’s full-time faculty as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence. Before becoming involved in end-of-life issues, he spent forty years as a wildlife and conservation filmmaker. To learn more, visit www.ChrisPalmerOnline.com.

As a physician for many years, I wish I had Chris Palmer’s book Achieving a Good Death as a resource for my patients and families. He tackles head-on the practical issues we all face but shy away from dealing with them. Each of us deserves a dignified and meaningful end of life, and this book is a sure-fire guide to achieving that noble goal.

• PrefaceIntroductionChapter 1: What Is a Good Death?Chapter 2: Live Well So as To Die WellChapter 3: Decluttering, Death Cleaning, and Getting OrganizedChapter 4: Advance Directives, “The Conversation,” and Health Care AgentsChapter 5: Legacy Letter, Ethical Wills, and MemoirsChapter 6: Caring for CaregiversChapter 7: Palliative Care, Hospice, and End-of-Life DoulasChapter 8: End-of-Life OptionsChapter 9: What Is It Like to Die?Chapter 10: What to Do with the BodyChapter 11: Memorial Services, Eulogies, and ObituariesChapter 12: Grief and MourningEpilogue: Reimagining Death and DyingAppendix I: Letters Describing a Desired End of LifeAppendix II: Legacy Letters and Ethical WillsAppendix III: A EulogyAppendix IV: A Burial and Memorial ServiceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorNotesIndex

Chris Palmer is an end-of-life activist and a trained hospice volunteer. He founded and currently leads an aging, death, and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village and serves on the board of several nonprofits focused on end-of-life issues, including Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice, Final Exit Network, Funeral Consumers Alliance, Hemlock Society of San Diego, and the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight. He has written ten books and frequently gives presentations and workshops to community groups on aging, death, and dying issues. Proceeds from all his books fund scholarships for American University (AU) students, where he served 14 years on AU’s full-time faculty as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence. Before becoming involved in end-of-life issues, he spent forty years as a wildlife and conservation filmmaker. To learn more, visit www.ChrisPalmerOnline.com.

As a physician for many years, I wish I had Chris Palmer’s book Achieving a Good Death as a resource for my patients and families. He tackles head-on the practical issues we all face but shy away from dealing with them. Each of us deserves a dignified and meaningful end of life, and this book is a sure-fire guide to achieving that noble goal.

• PrefaceIntroductionChapter 1: What Is a Good Death?Chapter 2: Live Well So as To Die WellChapter 3: Decluttering, Death Cleaning, and Getting OrganizedChapter 4: Advance Directives, “The Conversation,” and Health Care AgentsChapter 5: Legacy Letter, Ethical Wills, and MemoirsChapter 6: Caring for CaregiversChapter 7: Palliative Care, Hospice, and End-of-Life DoulasChapter 8: End-of-Life OptionsChapter 9: What Is It Like to Die?Chapter 10: What to Do with the BodyChapter 11: Memorial Services, Eulogies, and ObituariesChapter 12: Grief and MourningEpilogue: Reimagining Death and DyingAppendix I: Letters Describing a Desired End of LifeAppendix II: Legacy Letters and Ethical WillsAppendix III: A EulogyAppendix IV: A Burial and Memorial ServiceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorNotesIndex