Elderhood

Easily read conversational tone . Info about what geriatric docs may do. Could do with less self confession and ills of current medicine, but interesting throughout.

Great author does well very good content!

While the topic of this book is timely and the writing often intriguing and poignant, I was confused whether this was a memoir, a history, a treatise on medical treatment of the elderly or a meditation on end of life issues. Often serious topics such as abuse and neglect of older patients would be sandwiched between odd meanderings about the author deciding not to wear bikinis again or letting her hair turn gray. I also suspected the entire manuscript had been carefully vetted by a legion of lawyers to stop the author from saying anything Big Pharma would find objectionable. Dr. Aronson admitted two thirds in to the book that she completed a MFA degree in creative writing. It did seem to this reader that she was at her best in telling anecdotes and describing emotional content. Not so much at actionable policy directions or handling the medical maize.

Another book about growing old? Surely, isn’t there already a surplus of books on the subject? True enough. However, the quality and utility range from excellent to dull, and even dishonest. Once every decade or half-century a book appears that is so singular and informative that it falls into the “must read” category. I am a Geriatrician with 30 plus years of caring for older adults and personally just about to enter the ranks of my own Third Age. I have so enjoyed Dr. Aronson’s craft in “Elderhood”. If I had to pick one phrase to describe this book I would choose “Wisdom and Grace”. The Oxford English Dictionary defines wisdom as “capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice in the choice of means and ends.” The kind of Grace I see in this book resembles what Hemingway meant when he wrote “Courage is grace under pressure”. Dr. Aronson tackles the many structural issues that are impediments to the quality of life of older adults. She displays passion and frustration, but never losses her cool. Point after point is argued, but her candor is compassion-coated with the realization that social and health well-being of older adults are woefully lacking in the American health care system due to bad structure rather than evil people. Structures do not have to be immutable. The book is divided into sections that follow the chronology of the life cycle: Conception, Birth, Childhood, Adulthood, Elderhood, and Death. A singular and important format of the book is that two stories are being written simultaneously: the history and development of our current health and social care programs for older adults along with her own introduction to becoming a doctor and then a geriatric specialist. All this time she describes with laser focus on her excitement in caring for elders as well as suffering her own serious burnout, her development as a writer, and finally after I am sure many revisions, the author of “Elderhood”. In the course of the chapters she describes many individual patients and the course of their progression through the various stages of life. These case histories are not just fillers in the book but reflect the nature of geriatric medical care as practiced by the relatively small cadre of Board certified Geriatricians. The secret sauce of geriatrics is the reliance on narrative in addition to lab tests, imaging studies and drugs. As you read through these scenarios you can get a grasp of a different and in my opinion a superior form of medical care. Read this book with a pencil in hand to underline sections that have special meaning to you and your family. You will come back to these on many occasions!

fine

I was so excited when I began to read this book and looked forward to the author's words of wisdom about ageing. I am about to be 76 and think of myself as 765 biologically, 56 physically, 36 mentally.First, the statement to the effect that working for thirty years and being retired for thirty years is injurious to one's well-being is hogwash, at least in my case and my wife's. We've been retired for 21 years and haven't experienced on minute of boredom - make that a second. We have volunteered for various charities, have traveled to Europe 35 times, have gone on Caribbean cruises, have spend part of winters in Florida, have presented over 20 8 hour programs from Classical Greek to Broadway Musicals to the Holocaust at our local learning institute for people in retirement, have attended numerous theatre and musical presentations, have served on Boards of Directors including being president, have 10 couples as good friends with whom we get together regularly in various configurations, have children and grandchildren to visit, and on and on. Yes, we have the means to do all the above and consider our retirement the best years of our lives. We are healthy and active. and resent a general statement that all long retirements are detrimental to one's cognitive and physical health.Second, to label all assisted living institutions as a fate worse than death is definitely misleading. Yes, my father who had dementia and physical ailments was in two Bedlam-like nursing homes (he died at 95) and I condemn both of them BUT my 97 year mother has been in an Adult-Care home for two years now and loves every minute of it. She does not have dementia although her hearing and memory are weak and she walks with a walker. Her home, interestingly enough called Elderwood (!), is attractive in its setting and decor, serves three fairly (yes, institution like) nutritious meals a day, has many activities daily (cognitive, physical, fun), provides semi-monthly excursions to restaurants and stores, celebrates all holidays with parties, has pizza and wine and other get-togethers frequently, provides religious services, et al. She has a double room which is kept clean and neat and she is helped to take a shower. Her medications are taken care of and there is a Physician's Assistant on duty to ensure immediate aid if needed and also to prevent unneeded visits to a doctor or hospital, unless, of course, if it is necessary, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the local newspaper are delivered daily and available to all residents, AND, perhaps, most importantly, she has many friends, most of whom have their cognitive faculties. In addition, if residents are able to, they can own their own cars and travel wherever they like while, of course, notifying the staff that they will be out for a period of time. Family and friends are welcome to visit and to dine with their loved ones. We have Sunday dinner with my mother each week as well as dropping in during the week. My mother says, "I feel like a queen! I have everything I want and need here!"Does this take the burden off me (an only child) from caring for my mother in her home? Definitely but my mother wasn't ever one of those people who lived in the same home for 7O years and couldn't bear to leave it. She also was very nervous when she was still living at home and had to depend on me and my wife for numerous tasks. She was actually relieved (can you believe it!) when she, after spending time at Elderwood for physical therapy for a broken wrist, announced to us that this place (Elderwood) was where she wanted to live and spend the years left to her. She is thriving, looks 20 years younger than her age, and is happy. AND we expect to celebrate her hundredth birthday with all her friends and family in 3 years!On the positive side, the author's devotion to her calling is very impressive and it is evident that we need more geriatricians or, at least, medical staff that understand the needs of the Third and Fourth Stages of life. Her caution concerning medications and their over-prescriptions made an impression on me and I'm trying to reduce the number of pills I take each day while not threatening my health. Her personal experiences with patients are very inspiring and we truly need more doctors of her ilk!I do wish her continued success but hope that she does realize that there are two (or more) sides to every situation and what works for one person may or may not work for another.Amen!

This was suggested to me by my therapist who has been helping me to adjust to the recent loss of my long-time partner. This has been particularly difficult when coupled with some losses of mobility and interests as I age. This surprisingly evocative text has helped me to understand what I am experiencing and can expect to experience as I move along through my “ rusting” years. It provides hope and joy along with greater understanding. I find I smile more now and have really looked hard at the drugs that I am taking as well. An excellent “self-help” for the aging and aged. Thank you Dr . Aronson!

Imprescindible para la geriatría.

Excelente libro para quienes tenemos adultos mayores en nuestras vidas, a la vez de prepararnos para comprender la tercera edad propia.

Broadly, I have greatly enjoyed reading "Elderhood". As a junior doctor in the UK with a vested interest in geriatrics, I heard about this book on the GeriPals podcast and the insights that Dr Aronson and her colleagues shared made me want to buy this book.At first, I found this an incredibly engaging read - in many places, treading new ground in how we view the elderly and their care. Dr Aronson shares valuable insights into her experiences as a training doctor, as a geriatrician, and most importantly, as a caregiver. She engaged me throughout with many interesting stories of the many elderly patients she has taken care of over the course of her career - humanising them, sharing with the world the value that specialist geriatric care can provide, and showing through example why it is important to reshape the way we think about ageing and the elderly.However, in spite of this initial engagement, I found the layout of the book slightly haphazard - jumping from topic-to-topic, from patient, to philosophy, to biography, to sociology. Dr Aronson shares with us her perspective on a great variety of topics - gender inequality, physician reimbursement, "privilege" and the influence this has on the care patients receive. Personally, I bought this book due to what is described in the title and description - the trail-treading take that Dr Aronson gives us on patient care. I would have enjoyed the book much more had it not included much of these diversions, and had it been slightly less repetitive about some of the concepts it presents about how we, as a society, view elderhood.In summary, I highly recommend that you give this book a read if you are someone who wants to learn more about what it means to be elderly in our society; if you have an interest in geriatrics; if you are a caregiver; or (as Dr Aronson points it) - if you're human, as most of us will grow old some day! Just be aware that while this is a fascinating read, you may find yourself battling through the rest of the book about halfway through.

There is more to a lifetime than childhood and adulthood ... elderhood. Extremely well written.