or many Americans, talking about dying with their loved ones or doctor is just too difficult. So critical planning for the complicated medical and financial choices that have become a part of dying is often left undone. Surveys show that the vast majority of Americans want to die at home, free of pain, surrounded by loved ones. But most people die in the hospital, alone, experiencing unnecessary discomfort that could be relieved by better pain management and palliative care. "There was a growing realization that something has gone wrong with the way we provide care for the dying and support their caregivers, and the time has come to fix it," says Bill Moyers. Together with Judith Moyers, his wife and professional partner, he produced a groundbreaking six-hour series that shared the intimate end-of-life journeys of more than a dozen individuals, their families and their caregivers as they struggled to balance medical intervention with comfort and dignity at the end of life. But the PBS broadcast was only the beginning. Supported by a major communications effort and a national outreach campaign to provide people with opportunities for dialogue and action in their communities, On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying inspired a national conversation about how to better prepare for the last stage of life and improve care for the dying.

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"A television series can't fix a problem, but it can be a catalyst for community - generated solutions. That was our hope for On Our Own Terms, and we asked our colleagues in public television to join as partners in a huge campaign to get people talking and working together to find ways to improve end-of-life care. Through town hall meetings and small group discussions, call-in programs and resource guides, professional training programs and volunteer mobilization, the campaign engaged millions of people and moved us closer to the goal of better care for the dying." -- Judith Moyers Executive Producer On Our Own Terms

"Death is an inevitable part of life, yet it's a subject most people don't want to talk about. While many did so in the privacy of their homes, others joined one of the Maine PBS Community Discussion Groups that were held statewide. I attended several of these meetings, and I was very moved by the stories people shared. Talking about end-of-life care created awareness that change is necessary and a shared determination that it can and must be achieved." -- France Shea Director of Community Relations Maine PBS

oyce Kerr, a retired math teacher, didn't want to spend her last weeks in the hospital fighting a hopeless battle with cancer. She believed that the process of dying was part of her life. PBS viewers across America came to know Joyce, her devoted husband and children, her caring doctor, and her hospice team as they all worked together to help her live on her own terms until she died.