The new edition has grown from its former 48-page length to 76 pages. Much of the increase in length is due to an improved format. The type is larger and there is more white space on each page. Every chapter has a few questions at the beginning that serve as an overview and at the end there is a summary. These summaries are designed to help people who have difficulty reading to at least understand the main points of the chapter.

Beyond the format changes, new material has been added. Besides the treatment choices mentioned in the subtitle of the book, sections have been added on ventilators, dialysis, antibiotics and pain control. Also, at the end of the chapters on CPR, Artificial Feeding and Comfort Care/Hospice a section has been added which gives consideration to making these treatment choices for children. The book is no longer targeted to just to the elderly patient.

Throughout the entire book, the research has been updated. CPR continues to be of little help to three categories of patients: those with multiple diagnoses; those with a terminal illness; and those who do not live independently. Recent research has confirmed what many in healthcare have suspected that feeding tubes are not beneficial and can even be harmful to advanced dementia patients. Other studies found that 50% of advanced dementia patients who are hospitalized for a hip fracture or pneumonia die within six months as compared to 13% of noncognitively impaired patients. The section on pain control is written to help patients and families understand how pain is effectively controlled. Among other points, the section clearly states that patients cannot become addicted to pain medications and that slowly increased doses of narcotics cannot kill a patient, no matter how high the dose.