A forthcoming book from Back to the Present
Death, Dying,
Dignity, and
Dementia
A thoughtful conversation about aging, caregiving, and what we want the people we love to understand before difficult decisions arrive.
Get book updatesExplore the bookWhy this book
Have the conversation before a crisis asks for an answer.
What would we want if illness changed the way we live? What do we hope treatment will preserve? And how can we help the people we love understand our wishes?
Death, Dying, Dignity, and Dementia brings together research, a physician’s experience, and the stories of patients and families to make room for those conversations.
Written for people thinking about their own future, families facing change, and those caring for someone they love, the book invites reflection before the answers become urgent.
Inside the book
Questions worth making time for.
Across 23 chapters, Dr. Johnson explores how we can approach change with honesty, compassion, and greater understanding.
More time. For what?
Explore the difference between extending life and preserving health, independence, connection, and meaningful participation.
Dignity as life changes
Consider identity, memory, and relationship as dementia changes familiar abilities, while keeping the person’s humanity at the center.
Caring, with human limits
Reflect on presence, caregiver strain, family responsibilities, compassion, and the need for support when care becomes difficult.
Leaving more than a guess
Think through personal wishes and the conversations that help loved ones understand what matters when they may need to speak for us.
From reflection to conversation
“My Wishes”
The book includes a Conscious Preparation Reflection Guide, with Seven Essential Questions, a treatment-goal decision lens, and a crisis-plan prompt.
A starting point for explaining your values to the people who may one day need to speak for you.
What would I want care to preserve?
The book asks readers to consider what remains meaningful to them and what they hope treatment will make possible.
How can my family understand my wishes?
Conscious preparation goes beyond paperwork. It includes explaining your values and revisiting them as life and circumstances change.
What can I give when I cannot fix things?
Stories throughout the book explore presence, listening, companionship, and the dignity of being there when cure is no longer possible.
Meet the author
Dr. Wayne Johnson, MD
A physician practicing on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Dr. Johnson created Back to the Present to help people approach life with awareness and intention.
In this book, he brings together research, clinical experience, and the LIFE-MAP framework while keeping each perspective distinct. His purpose is to help readers recognize the questions that deserve their attention and the people who deserve to hear their answers.
Stay in the conversation
Be the first to hear when the book is ready.
Join the book updates list for news about Death, Dying, Dignity, and Dementia and its release.