Most of us envision living a long life. What most of us avoid thinking about is getting old, frail, and dependent on others. The hard truth is that we need to think about that—for ourselves and our parents. This book by Atul Gawande, M.D. will help you face these facts so you’re better able to make the decisions that must be made for end-of-life care for yourself or someone you love.
This is a fact-filled personal meditation on how to live well while facing getting old and sick…and eventually dying. In addition to the medical facts of aging, Gawande has included personal anecdotes about those who are aging and what it’s really like to successfully live independently with confidence but then suddenly and almost without warning need assistance after a fall or too many incidents of forgetfulness.
And Gawande sounds a loud call for geriatric health care changes. Unfortunately, the medical establishment is not adept at treating the elderly. Oh, doctors will enthusiastically treat individual ailments—from heart disease to diabetes—but to look at the whole body and understand what it will take to keep this 90-year-old human happy and strong is not something physicians are inclined to do. (Why? It’s too time-consuming and expensive.) Gawande says we should value well-being over survival because often the valiant medical efforts used to extend life only extend suffering. Always remember that death is normal. It’s not a failure when an elderly patient dies.
Gawande doesn’t mince words, making this a must-read book that is not only instructional, but also terrifying. Still, knowledge is power.
