Gerard Graham

Gerard Graham is a Scottish writer who lives in Charleston, South Carolina. Previously he had lived by the beach in Portugal but came to the United States with his wife to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

“Checking Out of the Hotel Euthanasia” is his first adult novel. Ringwood Publishing (Scotland) launched his novel in August 2017 and it has been available in USA since January 2018. He has also written a number of children’s books as well as illustrating books for other authors.

His iconoclastic novel benefits from Gerard’s professional background as an expert in social policy for older people to bring to the fore one of the greatest dilemmas facing modern society – the right to choose assisted dying. He draws from over 40 years of expertise in the field of social work and older people. He was also a consultant to governments and local authorities on enabling and empowering older people to live fulfilling and independent lives.

Gerard’s upbringing in the tough industrial City of Glasgow formed the merciless but playful humour he utilizes so successfully to explore the extremes of arguments on all sides of the assisted dying debate.

Gerard was an ‘expert’ on social policy for older people in Scotland. He had a successful career in social work management and then as a consultant. He has always been interested in social work values of self determination, non judgementalism, choice, detachment, dignity, social justice, individualism, relationashipsempowerment and enabling. Involvement with social work also meant that Gerard had an interest in ethical approaches and the law. His most significant input to changing social policy in Scotland was the introduction of the concept and approach of re-ablement. This was about maximizing the control and empowerment of older people to take control of their lives as opposed to being ‘warehoused’ and just the recipient of , for example, physical care. In doing this they retained their independence and reduced their reliance on institutional practices and services.