“It is not death that the very old tell me they fear. It is what happens short of death–losing their hearing, their memory, their best friends, their way of life. As Felix put it to me, ‘Old age is a continuous series of losses.’ Philip Roth put it more bitterly in his novel Everyman: ‘Old age is not a battle. Old age is a massacre.’ “–Atul Gawande, Being Mortal
This is a book that everyone should read. We will all die and we will all have people we love die of old age or terminal illness. Gawande writes about the challenge medicine has in helping people face death. From the relatively new phenomenon (historically speaking) of most people living to old age, to the rise of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Gawande writes candidly about the challenges of aging and how medicine looks to cure, even when curing isn’t possible. As a result, people will undergo procedures that will not greatly (or at all) extend their lives but often make their remaining time more painful. Gawande is a surgeon and draws on his experience with patients and their families as well as that of his own father. He points out that we only die once and we are pretty bad at it. His goal is to help people die better.
This book is a must for anyone helping friends or family members make health decisions as they age or face terminal illness.
Content Advisory: Death