> On Jan 27, 2015, at 18:41, editors@thinkersforumusablog.org wrote:
>
>
> Subject: book review
> From: “shoeb amin”
> Date: Tue, January 27, 2015 8:59 am
>
> BOOK REVIEW
> Name: Being Mortal
> Author: Atul Gawande, MDPublisher: Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt
> Co.,LLCISBN: 9780805095159
> What should one do when faced with a terminal illness when routine
> treatments are either not available or have not worked? Should one go on
> and take drastic measures, no matter what the cost, side effects and go
> through at least temporary hell? Or should one accept the inevitable and
> spend the rest of the time left doing what is important? In other words do
> you choose to add years (or months) to your life or to keep life in your
> remaining years.
> And what are one’s choices when one is old and unable to care for him or
> her self? What are the choices besides a traditional nursing home?
> These are some of the questions this book wrestles with. The author is a
> surgeon out of Boston who is known for his other book “Checklist
> Manifesto” in which he proposed solutions to minimize errors in the
> medical field.
> The book describes the evolution of hospitals, nursing homes, assisted
> living facilities; how they were originally devised as a solution to an
> existing problem and how they became money making machines with no
> consideration for what the “residents” in those facilities most wanted.
> The author then goes on to describe people who came with clever and
> simple ideas; how they bent the rules to improve the lot of the
> residents.
> The author seems to practice what he tries to preach in this book; He
> details a very personal story of his own father, who was also a doctor,
> who in his seventies was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord tumor. His
> choices were grim; surgical treatment carried the risk of quadriplegia; no
> treatment could lead to the same. Their decision making process, which
> focuses mostly on how to add life to his years is interesting.
> Some readers might find the book depressing because it lists a lot of
> cases of folks with terrible illnesses. But one gain a new perspective as
> to how to handle such asituation if one is faced with such a situation.
> Shoeb Amin
> <untitled-[2].html>
Subject: Re: [Fwd: book review]
From: “Nasik Elahi”
Date: Thu, January 29, 2015 10:29 pm
End of life is an issue most of us avoid until such time as disease or
events force us to confront. DNR – do not resuscitate – is one of the
more popular modern refrains. It is an expression of the limits a body
should undergo to sustain the illusion of life by modern scientific means.
I had the occasion to exercise such judgment for my late sister a few
years ago and hope that my family will extend a similar judgment on my
behalf. It is a painful choice and dr Atul Gawande does well in his book
to raise public awareness of an issue we all have to face.
Nasik elahi
It is an important topic especially for first generation immigrants who feel even more isolated and lonely in nursing homes. It is not easy to take care of elderly at home especially when elderly parent needs heavy personal care, both husband and wife work-and American born children do not feel much obligation. Nursing home choice becomes inevitable. It is hard and difficult for elderly parents who are used to only family life to adjust in nursing home particularly if they cannot speak English.
But there was an article in NYT few days ago in which author was arguing that Nursing homes may be better than homes because you have company, activities and no burden of maintaining your home.