The Rights of the Dying: A Companion for Life's Final Moments

by David Kessler

A leader in the hospice-care movement presents a compassionate and honest guide for people confronting life-challenging illnesses and those who care for them, introducing seventeen rights that allow patients and their families to face death with dignity.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

David Kessler David Kessler is the world’s foremost expert on grief. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. His new book is Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He coauthored On Grief and Grieving and Life Lessons with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce or Death with Louise Hay. He is the author of Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms, and The Needs of the Dying, praised by Mother Teresa.

David’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Business Week, and Life Magazine, and on CNN, Fox, NBC, PBS, and CBS. David has served on the Red Cross Aviation Disaster Team and has volunteed for decades as a Los Angeles Police Department Specialist Reserve Officer. He lectures for physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders and leads talks and retreats for those dealing with grief.

Reviews

[Revesk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book also can be thought of as the rights of any adult who is under the complete care of another person or persons, whether in immanent danger of death or not.
However, I vehemently disagree with his advocacy of a right to die at a time of a person's own choosing, other than refusing medical technology to needlessly prolong a person's life who is in a terminal state. This issue is much more nuanced than these two sentences, and there are many books on the subject of the inherent dignity of a human life.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this about 10 years ago. It was well written and quite useful. I've recently turned to it again and again it provides factual, realistic and gentle information.