New York Times article details hard won advice from books about aging and elder care. In Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, the author/physician aims to help readers avoid nursing home care. The reviewer found the chaper “Letting Go” where the author discusses the powerful effect of frequent concerted conversations about the goals and wishes for one’s end of life. The 36 Hour Day by Nancy Mace and Peter V. Robins delves into the many aspects of caring for someone with Alheimer’s, dementia or other forms of memory loss. Chapter 16 has tips for people researching long term care residences. Jane Gross, in A Bittersweet Season, wrote a no holds barred memoir about the years she and her brother spent caring for their mother. In the memoir, Being my Mom’s Mom by Loretta Anne Woodward Veney, the author describes caring for her mother who suffered from dementia. She found it helpful to aim for tranquility and patience and have a sense of humor.
Hard-Won Advice on Books in Aging and Elder Care
By Ron Lieber | New York Times
Longevity is generally better than its alternative. But when the body or especially the mind wears out, caring for yourself or finding someone else to do it for you can impoverish you in short order.
We fail to plan for it at our peril. So when it seemed that Republicans in Washington were close to passing legislation that could fundamentally change Medicaid, I wrote five straight columns about the program. Already, the majority of Americans need Medicaid to pay for at least some of their nursing home costs or care at home because they’ve run out of money. Proposed caps on Medicaid, which have not come to pass for now, had the potential to cause enormous problems. [read entire article]
