Thinking differently about end-of-life decision-making

Preparing for a Better End – Expert lessons on Death and Dying for You and Your Loves Ones by Dan and Shelley Morhaim is very different from any of the books I have previously reviewed or even read. In fact, I suspect it is very different from any book your average paramedic has read in their quest to learn more about paramedic practice or more specifically palliative or end-of-life care.

Firstly, this book is not specifically targeted at paramedics—but rather has a wide target audience including health professionals and members of the public, who have an interest or unanswered questions surrounding end-of-life decision-making or advanced care planning. While Dan Morhaim is an emergency medicine physician and former United States (US) state legislator, his co-author and wife Shelley Morhaim is a therapeutic music practitioner for hospital patients. Their combined experience has allowed them to produce an excellent resource outlining the medical, legal and financial issues surrounding end-of-life care, while offering hope, empowerment and inspiration regarding end-of-life care decisions.