Annielle Grindley
PHC6588.310S17
Book title: Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and what Matters in the End, 2014.
The book, Being Mortal: Medicine and what matters in the End, is written from the point of view of a surgeon and deals with the role of medicine and medical professionals in the process of aging and dying. Dr. Gawande confronts the harsh reality that we all inevitably will die, however with the advancements in modern medicine and improvements in public health, many persons worldwide are living well into old age. This increased longevity creates unique issues in how we as individuals and as a society deal with how the elderly spend the last moments of their lives. Dr. Gawande’s book not only focuses on the rationality and effects …show more content…
I honestly never really looked at aging as a public health issue. It is the norm for families to care for the elderly in my society, although private and government homes for the ‘aged’ are present for those who do not have the means to do. However, as Dr. Gawane points out in his book, as a society becomes more developed and more and more persons join the workforce, taking care of the elderly at home is not always an option. Also worldwide, persons are living longer due to advances in both medicine and public health interventions, so the population of older persons is increasing. It is easy to overlook aging as a public health issue because the topic of aging is one most persons tend to shy away from discussing and tend not to confront the issue until its too late. The book does a good job of explaining the different institutions available in the United States that offer care for the elderly and that there has been a continuous effort to have to improve the standards and the way they are run. The book also highlights that the goal of public health is to improve the lives of all those in our society, even those with issues that the majority tend to overlook or be unaware
PHC6588.310S17
Book title: Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and what Matters in the End, 2014.
The book, Being Mortal: Medicine and what matters in the End, is written from the point of view of a surgeon and deals with the role of medicine and medical professionals in the process of aging and dying. Dr. Gawande confronts the harsh reality that we all inevitably will die, however with the advancements in modern medicine and improvements in public health, many persons worldwide are living well into old age. This increased longevity creates unique issues in how we as individuals and as a society deal with how the elderly spend the last moments of their lives. Dr. Gawande’s book not only focuses on the rationality and effects …show more content…
I honestly never really looked at aging as a public health issue. It is the norm for families to care for the elderly in my society, although private and government homes for the ‘aged’ are present for those who do not have the means to do. However, as Dr. Gawane points out in his book, as a society becomes more developed and more and more persons join the workforce, taking care of the elderly at home is not always an option. Also worldwide, persons are living longer due to advances in both medicine and public health interventions, so the population of older persons is increasing. It is easy to overlook aging as a public health issue because the topic of aging is one most persons tend to shy away from discussing and tend not to confront the issue until its too late. The book does a good job of explaining the different institutions available in the United States that offer care for the elderly and that there has been a continuous effort to have to improve the standards and the way they are run. The book also highlights that the goal of public health is to improve the lives of all those in our society, even those with issues that the majority tend to overlook or be unaware