Chapter 23. Coping with Death

The burden of death may be eased by understanding the emotions involved and planning ahead to deal with various issues that pertain to dying. The need to prepare for death has become more pressing because machines often can keep a dying, permanently unconscious patient alive, sometimes indefinitely. An advance directive can help people control what care they receive if terminally ill. Hospice care provides another way to reduce suffering for patients with a terminal illness.

The technology and success rates of organ transplantation have improved greatly during recent years, but the cost is high and there is a serious shortage of available organs.

The intensity and duration of grief and mourning depend on the nature of the relationship to the dying person and emotional makeup of the survivors. Most decisions about body disposition are made by people who are grieving and under time constraints, leaving them vulnerable to price-gouging and fraud. Many entrepreneurs have capitalized on people's wishes to prolong life and delay aging.