An introduction to culture and its influence on end-of-life decision making / Kathryn L. Braun, James H. Pietsch, and Patricia L. Blanchette -- The medical, legal, and ethical context of death and dying. Physical aspects of dying / Julie A. Patterson Fago -- Cognitive changes that affect capacity and end-of-life decisions / Ronald A. Martino -- Autonomy, advance directives, and the patient self-determination act / James H. Pietsch and Kathryn L. Braun -- Ethical considerations and court involvement in end-of-life decision making / Marshall B. Kapp -- Ethnic perspectives on end-of-life decision making. Cultural and religious issues for African Americans / Charles P. Mouton -- Advance directives and end-of-life care : the Hispanic perspective / Melissa A. Talamantes, Celina Gomez, and Kathryn L. Braun -- Cultural issues in end-of-life decision making among Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States / Gwen Yeo and Nancy Hikoyeda -- End-of-life decision making in American Indian and Alaska native cultures / Nancy Westlake Van Winkle -- Religious perspectives on end-of-life decision making. Christian perspectives on end-of-life decision making : faith in a community / Mary Rowell -- Catholic perspectives on euthanasia and assisted suicide : the human person and the quest for meaning / Marc R. Alexander -- Jewish perspectives on end-of-life decision making / William Kavesh -- Muslim perspectives regarding death, dying, and end-of-life decision making / Hamid Abdul Hai and Asad Husain -- Buddhist issues in end-of-life decision making / Ronald Y. Nakasone -- End-of-life issues in institutional cultures and for special populations. Issues in end-of-life decision making in the hospital and nursing home culture / Charon A. Pierson -- End-of-life issues in the military culture / Patricia W. Nishimoto and Ross E. Newmann -- End-of-life issues in the HIV/AIDS community / Russel Ogden -- End-of-life issues : a disabilities perspective / Tom Koch -- Talking to patients about death and dying : improving communication across cultures / Shari L. Kogan, Patricia L. Blanchette, and Kamal Masaki.